Sometimes the best thing for a relationship is a breakup. Whenever I hear celebrity PR agents say their client is getting divorced for “amicable differences” I automatically assume that means “irreconcilable differences.” But maybe Gwyneth Paltrow and Chris Martin were on to something when they publicly stated they were “consciously uncoupling.”
Though they wouldn’t use those terms, that’s maybe how Jason Kidd and Nets owner Mikhail Prokhorov would describe Kidd’s departure from Brooklyn. The bottom-line is the Kidd-Nets marriage was built out of convenience, not necessity. When Kidd started to look astray it was necessary for the marriage to end.
Kidd’s initial hiring was about fanfare. It was a deliberate move to win respect in the marketplace as the 10-mile move from New Jersey to Brooklyn needed something to ignite the fan base in a new borough. What better way than to steal a member of the rival Knicks’ roster who just so happened to have his jersey retired by your franchise? Whether or not that jersey stays in the rafters now, though, is up for debate.
From the outside looking in, it seems as though Kidd made a calculated power move to gain control of team personnel decisions (over the head of GM Billy King, his immediate boss) knowing he’d get what he wanted in the form of more power and money or get what he really wanted—a chance to work with his friend, Milwaukee Bucks owner Marc Lasry. There was no downside. If the Brooklyn brass didn’t relent, he knew he’d likely be made available to other teams. Nothing ventured, nothing gained.
Kidd’s gain, however, is Larry Drew’s loss. The Bucks’ coach until a week ago, Drew had a 15-67 record in his one year with the team in the face of a mass of injuries and is left standing in the game of coaching musical chairs. However, seeing as the team changed ownership over the course of that year and more organizational changes are likely on the way, in the long run he too is probably better off for it.
Don’t feel sorry for the Nets, either. As officially announced yesterday, they land on their feet with the swift hiring of respected coach Lionel Hollins, mainly because he is a man King wants to work with. Hollins led the Grizzlies to three consecutive playoff appearances in the über-competitive Western conference, and was on the Nets’ radar ever since they demoted Lawrence Frank due to compatibility issues with Kidd.
At that time Hollins spurned an assistant role with the Nets and subsequently the Rockets to hold out for a job as a head coach. Eventually both parties got their wish, finding each other in a roundabout way. Mark Jackson was a rumored replacement due to the fact that he lives in the area and is a former Nets broadcaster, but he would present a similar dynamic to Kidd, so why date someone similar to your ex if you don’t have to?
Lost in the tabloid aspect of the transaction is the fact that the Nets got draft-pick compensation in return for Kidd, something they are badly in need of after they traded the farm for Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce last summer. Regardless of whether or not their aging core returns intact, the Nets are in “win-now mode.” Prokhorov has spent more money than any other owner in the NBA since taking over the franchise, and last year’s record Nets payroll was topped off with close to $100 million in luxury tax. The return on investment has yet to come.
A tactical master who routinely out-coached his counterparts in the post-season, Hollins is the safer bet to produce dividends. As much promise as Kidd showed leading Brooklyn to the second-best record in the East after Jan. 1, his learning curve in his first year on the job was steep.
Despite the disparity of talent, Kidd is actually in a better position to influence his team and thus succeed as a coach in Milwaukee. The former point guard, NBA champion in 2011 and future Hall of Famer works best with young players. His work helping mold point guard Shaun Livingston (who, at 28, is much younger in basketball years because of time missed due to injury) not only salvaged his career, it made Livingston one of the prized free agents of this NBA off-season. Kidd has the ability to use his sensibilities and experience as a recent player to help shepherd young players towards having long sustainable careers.
Kidd has a young team highlighted by Giannis Antetokounmpo and No. 2 overall pick Jabari Parker so the inevitable mistakes he makes learning the ropes will not be under the spotlight of high-leverage situations. If a coach spills his drink on purpose in Milwaukee to buy himself an extra timeout does it make a sound? I suspect the embarrassment will be kept on a local scale rather than lead PTI.
In a league with a prohibitive cap on player salaries, owners are trying to differentiate by spending big money on coaches, which the Knicks did with first-time coach Derek Fisher and the Warriors did with first-timer Steve Kerr. This trend will inevitably lead to bigger demands and messy divorces. But at the end of this particular merry-go-round of deceit between Kidd, the Nets and the Bucks, everybody wins because everybody deserves what they get.