The only thing NBA coaches know for certain is that one day he will get fired. It happens to every coach who has ever sat on the sidelines. Getting fired is just as much a part of the business as drawing up a play.

In Dallas, the Mavericks are having a good season. They are in the thick of things in an extremely tough Western Conference. That said, it’s time to fire head coach Avery Johnson.

I’m not even saying Johnson is a bad coach because he’s not. He’s actually one of the better coaches in the NBA. If I were starting an NBA team, Avery Johnson would be one of the first five coaches I looked at to hire.

However, Johnson just doesn’t fit the Mavs anymore. With new point guard Jason Kidd, the Mavs no longer need a dictator on the sidelines telling the team exactly what it needs to do. Kidd is a great player but he’s a freelancing player. You can’t put his creativity in a box. You have to let it be free and take the good with the bad.

That philosophy just doesn’t mix well with what Johnson brings to the table. For example, in a recent game with the Mavs lost to the San Antonio Spurs, Johnson took Kidd out of the game with seconds remaining and the Mavs down by two points. Johnson pointed to the need for additional shooters on the court. While that is decent enough logic, Kidd is a player who defies logic.

Johnson has taken the Mavs to great places. He almost brought Dallas a championship in 2006. If it wasn’t for the great play of Dwyane Wade in the finals, Johnson would have a coaching championship under his belt.

But right now, the Mavs need a coach that will allow Kidd to take the reins of the franchise. For good or bad, Kidd is the player who should lead this new-look Mavs squad – not Johnson.