Apart from the NBA Conference Finals, fans are keenly observing the coaching staff and front office movements around the league. The latest one to enter the headlines is Jason Kidd, who's now officially the new coach of Luka Doncic and the Dallas Mavericks. There have been objections to this, particularly by some fans who have followed Kidd's coaching career.
However, a quick examination might just reveal that Kidd might be the right mentor for Doncic. Some reasons are pretty obvious. Others are a look back into Kidd's coaching style, notably with the Milwaukee Bucks. Let's examine three reasons Jason Kidd is the perfect fit for the Mavericks.
Similarities With Luka Doncic
The most obvious reason why Kidd is the right coach is his similarities with Luka Doncic. It would be easy to imagine the two watching game films (or maybe just replaying from their memory bank) and having plenty of discussions only they would understand. This would result in both agreements and disagreements. But at the end of the day, these talks will be productive and should ultimately help in the team's overall development.
Kidd's stint with the Los Angeles Lakers provided him the opportunity to work with LeBron James—a player Doncic admires and shares a similar playing style too. Yes, Doncic is his own man but he's still a kid at heart. He would likely giggle and give Kidd 100 percent of his attention when the coach shares some LeBron-related trivia. With regard to Kidd, he now knows how to work with a player who shares similarities with him. You can say that Kidd has been “coaching” since his playing days as the point guard. But there's a difference between coaching as a player and coaching as an actual coach. By now, the difference should be crystal clear to him.
Could Make Unorthodox Yet Beneficial Changes To Stars
Kidd's hiring garnered some violent reactions from Mavericks fans familiar with his stint with the Bucks. They don't want to hire a coach that would ruin Doncic or even Kristaps Porzingis' jump shot as he supposedly did to Giannis Antetokounmpo. However, before heading in that direction, let's note that there's nothing wrong with Doncic's and Porzingis' forms. Both have elite jump shots which Kidd won't dare modify. Giannis, meanwhile, was still slowly developing his offensive package during that time. It made sense for Kidd to try something new to help him out.
Yes, Kidd might have wrecked Giannis' form, but people forget that Kidd also made the daring move to place the Greek Freak at the point guard spot. This was key in his development. He worked to have elite handles, something that has been critical in his dominance over the past few years. Kidd was observant enough to notice that the lanky kid from Greece had decent enough handles that could be improved on. When you see Giannis bring the ball coast to coast and finish it with a slam, give credit to Jason Kidd.
Kidd won't suddenly place Porzingis at the point guard spot or turn Doncic into a center. The point is that Kidd will likely implement a change that might seem radical at first. But in the end, it will benefit the entire team and the individuals involved.
Finally Bloomed
Like Mark Jackson, Steve Kerr, and Doc Rivers, Jason Kidd became a coach without prior experience. The three aforementioned guys worked for several years as TV analysts before taking the sidelines, but Kidd got the job right after retiring as a player. You cannot really say Kidd did a horrendous job. He led the Brooklyn Nets to the NBA Playoffs in his first year and then guided the Bucks to two postseason appearances in his three full seasons (Kidd was fired midway through his fourth season).
Haters would say that Kidd taking on an assistant coach role with the Lakers was a demotion. But the reality is that this was an act of humility on his part. He swallowed his pride and admitted that he still needs to learn the ropes. After three years (and a title win), Kidd is now ready to return to being the top guy. Besides, analysts have sung praises for LeBron James, Anthony Davis, and Frank Vogel for the Lakers' success. Real fans know that Jason Kidd also played a key role in this. He's one of the greatest basketball minds today.
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