After an illustrious 19-year NBA career, Hall-of-Famer Jason Kidd followed the path that many NBA greats have gone before him: becoming a head coach. While some have had success in their transition from player to coach, such as Phil Jackson and Doc Rivers, others, such as Kidd, have struggled.

After one successful 44-38 season with the Brooklyn Nets in 2013-14, Kidd's coaching rights were traded to the Milwaukee Bucks. There, he compiled a forgettable 139-152 record over three and a half seasons, before getting fired in January 2018.

One year later, Kidd is now looking to get back into the coaching game. At the same time, the storied Los Angeles Lakers franchise, with arguably the greatest player alive on the team, is rumored to be in the market for a new head coach next season. Could Kidd and the Lakers be a perfect fit?

The Lakers currently sit at 11th in the Western Conference and own a losing record–something LeBron James isn't used to. LeBron, now 34 years old, is going to miss out on the playoffs for the first time since 2005. This summer, the Lakers will be looking to keep their star satisfied and pair James with at least one other superstar. They also are strongly believed to replace coach Luke Walton. Should Kidd sign on, the team that he would inherit, in theory, would comprise of LeBron James, at least one other NBA star, such as Kawhi Leonard or Anthony Davis, and a collection of young talent.

Kidd has gone on record, though, saying that if the job opportunity presents itself, he'd want in:

In the interview, Kidd noted that, “If you ever have the opportunity to wear the purple and gold…you can't turn that down, as a coach, as a player, because they're all about championships.” Let's analyze two aspects of coaching the Lakers that Kidd would have to deal with before he can talk about championships.

Coaching LeBron James

While the Lakers have quite a history of success on the basketball court, the current Lakers team is more about LeBron James. And LeBron has had a history with conflicts with coaches and management. With the Miami Heat, LeBron famously wanted Erik Spoelstra ousted. Heat president Pat Riley also detailed his dealings with LeBron in his book, noting that LeBron even inferred Riley should take over as head coach over Spoelstra. Riley, though, stood his ground, and told LeBron that Spoelstra wasn't leaving, which was cited as one of the reasons why LeBron left Miami.

In an attempt to appease LeBron and make him stay, the Heat traded for guard Shabazz Napier in the 2014 NBA Draft because LeBron said Napier was his favorite player in the draft. But a disgruntled LeBron left that summer anyway to go back to Cleveland.

Is Kidd prepared to deal with LeBron? It seems like the carousel of coaches LeBron has had, ranging from Mike Brown to Paul Silas to David Blatt, has never had success earning LeBron's approval. His passive-aggressiveness, from revealing his discontent in post-game interviews to going around the coach to talk to the front office, is something Kidd will have to manage, and tame, if he wants to bring out the best in LeBron.

But this is an unproven coach. In his lone winning season with the Nets, with the league's highest payroll, Kidd had Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce, albeit only getting older, and lost to the Miami Heat in the second round. With the Bucks, Kidd coached Giannis as well as young talent like Jabari Parker, Malcolm Brogdon, and Greg Monroe. But Kidd's best season in Milwaukee ended with a mediocre 42-40 record, only making the playoffs because they were in the arguably-weaker Eastern Conference.

Holding that none of them get traded in the summer, can Kidd help grow the talents of the Lakers' Lonzo Ball, Brandon Ingram, and Kyle Kuzma? While, at the same time, managing the egos of LeBron James and a second star player?

Kidd does have experience coaching a truly great player, as he coached the Bucks' Giannis Antetokounmpo, a rising star at the time. However, Kidd failed to maximize Giannis' talents, as the young Bucks failed to ever get past the first round under Kidd. This season, Mike Budenholzer has taken over the Bucks and implemented a new offense centered around floor spacing and the three-point shot. And out of the ashes of Kidd's firing last season, Milwaukee now stands tall as the best team in basketball, and Giannis Antetokounmpo is a top MVP candidate.

Kidd would have a similar situation in Los Angeles. He would have to coach LeBron James, as well as potentially another superstar, and a hoard of young talent. But Kidd has not proven his ability, as a coach, to either help young players grow or to get the most out of a star player.

Improving the Defense

Another crucial aspect to look at is defense. The old adage that “defense wins championships” still rings true, as champions of the past decade like the Golden State Warriors and San Antonio Spurs are elite at implementing defensive schemes that can shut down a high-powered offense.

The Lakers show some promise on defense, with Lonzo Ball leading the way. This season, they rank 14th in defensive rating, higher than even the Golden State Warriors. In his first season with the Bucks, Kidd implemented an aggressive defensive scheme that had his players gambling and taking risks to force steals. It worked, as the Bucks led the league in steals per game and finished fourth in the league in defensive rating in 2014-15.

But the NBA adapts quickly, and his same defensive strategies no longer seemed to have success, as the Bucks finished 23rd and 19th in defensive rating over the next two seasons. This year, with Budenholzer, albeit with a slightly different Bucks roster, Milwaukee leads the league in defensive rating.

Does Kidd have what it takes to utilize Ball and company in helping the Lakers make the final push to an elite NBA defense? His history with the Bucks does nothing to indicate so.

Kidd is also under consideration, at the college level, for the California Golden Bears' coaching position. Coming off of two straight disappointing seasons, an 8-23 team that hasn't sniffed the Sweet Sixteen since 1997 might be the perfect place for Kidd to prove his coaching mettle.

While he's reached the playoffs three times, Kidd hasn't done nearly enough to prove he can be a reliable NBA coach, let alone one that can handle the spotlight that comes with coaching LeBron James. If the Lakers fire Luke Walton, Jason Kidd is the wrong answer at head coach.

Instead, LA will need a steady hand and a firm, proven voice to balance both maximizing their bright, young talent and being able to see eye-to-eye with a high-maintenance superstar.

Jason Kidd is not that guy.

He may be an NBA coach again one day, but for now, he should take his talents to the University of California and stay far, far away from the Lakers' volatile situation.

Kidd has expressed serious interest in LA though, and if the Lakers do go his way, it'll be interesting to see if he can bear the weight of the responsibility, and if he can manage both LeBron James and those high Lakers' expectations.