Jason Kidd, becoming a head coach the season after he retires? Absolutely unheard of. With that being said, I think its a great call. This past year, Jason Kidd was acting much like a player-coach for the New York Knicks. It was an effective roll for him, putting to use his 19 seasons of experience as he greatly helped a young and talented Knicks team to their best season in recent memory.
Former Net's coach Lawrence Frank, speaking of Kidd, stated,
"I think Jason could become a great coach," Frank said on NBC's "Mike'd Up" on Sunday night. "Think about his training: 19 years of playing, an NBA championship, two Olympic gold medals. ... [He's] one of the smartest players to ever play the game, a great leader who has a great presence. I think Jason could be a great head coach."
Part of the deal to hire Kidd is having at least one coach with head-coaching experience on the bench to assist Kidd in his first year, and I think that is a fine way to "play it safe". But I don't think that Kidd necessarily needs this help at all. What's necessary of a head coach is for his players to respect him. And how can you not respect a guy who's played 19 years, has an NBA Championship ring, and two Olympic gold medals. Who knows the game better than a guy who was playing only a year ago? If Jason Kidd's as smart as everyone makes him out to be, he'll successfully be able to translate his playing experience into impressive coaching prowess. All he needs is the chance. Give it to him.
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