Jason Kidd

Bucks Notes: Parker, Walker, Williams

January 23rd, 2018 at 6:10pm CST by Austin Kent

Scrapping for their spot in the Eastern Conference playoff picture, the Bucks know they need to rally around one another in the wake of the franchise’s recent coaching change, Matt Velazquez of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel writes.

Velasquez writes that young players like Thon Maker, who haven’t gone through a coaching change before, have been seeking advice from veterans who have. Considering that Jason Kidd was at the helm in Milwaukee for three and a half seasons there are a number of players like Maker for whom Kidd was the only, or at least the longest-tenured, coach they had had.

“I think for the most part the message was, ‘It’s on us,’ ” Bucks veteran Jason Terry said of a team meeting after the news was announced. “Once they make the decision — which was a tough one — that they did, they put the onus on the players. We understand it’s going to take us as a group collectively.”

There’s more out of Milwaukee:

Sidelined forward Jabari Parker rejected the notion that there was tension between he and Jason Kidd, Matt Velazquez of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel writes. “He was my coach for four years and it’s always been a good relationship,” Parker said. “Any coach in a head position, we’re going to have disagreements, but most importantly he helped me.”
The Bucks were among the teams that contacted the Hornets about Kemba Walker prior to Michael Jordan saying that he’s not looking to deal the point guard unless he gets a marquee player in return, Marc Stein of The New York Times tweets.
Among the frontrunners to land the full-time head coaching gig in Milwaukee is Monty Williams, Chris Mannix of Yahoo Sports writes. The well-respected former Pelicans coach is currently part of the Spurs’ front office and could be available to take over right away.
The G League affiliate of the Bucks has obtained the rights to both Gary Neal and Ricky Ledo, the team announced. Ledo is a former second-round pick of Milwaukee’s while Neal suited up for the big league club in 2013/14.

Latest On Kidd, Bucks’ Coaching Job

January 22nd, 2018 at 8:01pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Former Grizzlies coach David Fizdale is considered the early favorite to get the Bucks job after this season but there are some other viable candidates, according to Hoops Hype’s Bryan Kalbrosky.

Milwaukee fired Jason Kidd on Monday and replaced him on an interim basis with lead assistant Joe Prunty. Fizdale was fired in late November, in part because of a strained relationship with the team’s star, Marc Gasol.

Former Pelicans coach Monty Williams, Raptors G-League coach Jerry Stackhouse, Hawks assistant Darvin Ham, Thunder assistant Adrian Griffin, Clippers assistant Sam Cassell and Spurs assistants Ettore Messina and Ime Udoka are some of the other candidates that Milwaukee may consider, Kalbrosky adds.

Here are some nuggets regarding Kidd and the Bucks job:

Bucks franchise player Giannis Antetokounmpo offered to help Kidd save his job, ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne tweets. Kidd and the All-Star starter spoke 15 minutes before Kidd was officially notified he’d been fired, Shelburne adds.
Milwaukee’s front office had been mulling over a coaching change for at least two weeks, Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today reports.
Williams, who has been working in the Spurs’ front office, has been patiently waiting for another opportunity and is a name to remember, Sam Amick of USA Today tweets.
Kidd leaves with no regrets and added “we took an organization that was in a bad place and shined a light on it,” according to another Shelburne tweet.
Tensions between Kidd and the front office had been building for months, according to the Washington Post’s Tim Bontemps. There was friction between Kidd and forward Jabari Parker, Bontemps continues. Kidd also rubbed management the wrong way by lobbying for roster changes and harping on the lack on experience among the front office staff, Bontemps adds.
Jeff Van Gundy and Rick Pitino are two other candidates the Bucks might consider, Forbes’ Mitch Lawrence reports. However, the organization does not have a stellar reputation and potential replacements for Kidd will likely want to know who’s calling the shots on personnel, Lawrence adds.

Bucks Fire Jason Kidd

January 22nd, 2018 at 3:32pm CST by Luke Adams

3:32pm: The Bucks have issued a press release confirming that they’ve officially relieved Kidd of his head coaching duties.

“We appreciate everything that Jason has done for the Bucks organization, but we have decided to make a coaching change,” Horst said in a statement. “We believe that a fresh approach and a change in leadership are needed to continue elevating our talented team towards the next level, bringing us closer to our goal of competing for championships.”

3:03pm: The Bucks have parted ways with head coach Jason Kidd, reports ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (via Twitter). According to Wojnarowski, assistant Joe Prunty will take over for Kidd as the interim coach in Milwaukee, beginning with tonight’s game against the Suns.

Unlike Earl Watson (Suns) and David Fizdale (Grizzlies), who were the first two coaching casualties of the 2017/18 NBA season, Kidd wasn’t at the helm of a lottery-bound team — the Bucks currently hold the No. 8 spot in the Eastern Conference. Still, Milwaukee only has a one-game cushion on ninth-seeded Detroit, and would be out of the playoff picture for the time being if not for the Pistons’ five-game losing streak.

Given the expectations for the Bucks coming into the season – not to mention the in-season trade for Eric Bledsoe – team leadership was disappointed with the team’s mediocre 23-22 record so far, according to Wojnarowski (via Twitter). Woj adds that “frayed relationships” within the organization and “general non-alignment” also contributed to Kidd’s dismissal.

After coaching the Nets to a 44-38 record in 2013/14, Kidd made the move to Milwaukee, where he has coached the Bucks for the last three and a half years. During that time, he compiled a 139-152 record, leading the Bucks to a pair of playoff appearances — the team was ousted in the first round in both 2015 and 2017.

During that 2017 first-round loss to the Raptors, the young Bucks took a 2-1 lead and flashed tantalizing promise, prompting many NBA observers to forecast bigger and better things from the team this season. Despite Giannis Antetokounmpo‘s MVP-level play so far though, the Bucks have been up and down overall, particularly on the defensive end — as TNT’s David Aldridge tweets, Milwaukee is currently tied for 24th in the NBA in defensive rating.

Antetokounmpo’s presence will make the Bucks’ head coaching job one of the most sought-after NBA roles this summer, though it will be interesting to see how the Greek Freak reacts to today’s news. ESPN’s Chris Haynes tweets that Antetokounmpo is “devastated” by Kidd’s firing, with ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne adding (via Twitter) that Giannis is close with Kidd and trusts him. Gery Woelfel of The Racine Journal Times doesn’t contradict those accounts, but offers a different perspective, tweeting that Kidd “didn’t endear himself to many players, including some of the important ones.”

While Kidd reportedly had a lot of influence with Bucks ownership earlier in his tenure, that influence eroded significantly over the last year, according to Chris Mannix of Yahoo Sports (Twitter link). Milwaukee’s ownership group is made up of three co-owners who often have differing opinions, so their levels of support for Kidd may have varied. Still, the club’s decision to promote Jon Horst to general manager in the offseason might have been a signal that Kidd’s influence was waning — Kidd was believed to have supported Justin Zanik, who was passed over for the GM job and ultimately left the organization.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Central Notes: Mirotic, Jordan, Parker

December 10th, 2017 at 8:16pm CST by Austin Kent

Not only does the return of Nikola Mirotic give the struggling Bulls an extra offensive weapon, he provides a calm confidence that the young team can benefit from. Nick Friedell of ESPN writes that Mirotic has set the bar high upon his return, taking particular pleasure in the fact that the 5-20 team is 2-0 since he returned to the court.

Friedell adds that Mirotic has been playing particularly well alongside frontcourt teammate Bobby Portis. Together the pair who’s training camp skirmish made national headlines is rocking a 115.6 offensive rating with a 103.8 defensive rating. The pairing alone has yielded 59 of the Bulls’ 223 points over the last two games and they’ve only been on the floor together for 24 minutes.

The Bulls may be in the midst of a rebuild, not particularly committed to any specific player, but Mirotic has shown plenty of potential when asked to take on a large offensive role. From March 22 on last season, Mirotic averaged 17.0 points and 7.2 rebounds in just under 30 minutes per game.

There’s more from the Central Division:

The fact that DeAndre Jordan hired an agent with a close connection to Jason Kidd could give the Bucks an advantage in any trade negotiations with the Clippers, Ken Berger of Bleacher Report writes. Agent Jeff Schwartz represented Kidd for much of his playing career.
A big three on Saturday night could help Jae Crowder bust out of his shooting slump, Joe Vardon of Cleveland.com writes. The Cavaliers forward has struggled from long-range, particularly in the fourth quarter, and has ceded some minutes to reserve Jeff Green. “Y’all know I’ve been struggling. It feels good to finally see one go down, especially late in the game,” Crowder said. “I’ve made quite a few of those in my career, but I haven’t made them like I wanted to here. I just want to build off this win.”
If Jabari Parker‘s future with the Bucks is uncertain given his health, contract status and the emergence of Giannis Antetokounmpo, one team that could be in play to acquire him is the Jazz. Mike Sorensen of the Deseret News details Parker’s connection to the The Church of Latterday Saints which has famously strong roots in Utah. Parker, it’s worth noting, had BYU in his top five potential colleges coming out of high school.

Central Notes: Pistons, SVG, Bullock, Bucks, Kidd

August 8th, 2017 at 6:30pm CST by Joshua Fischman

In the wake of Clippers head coach Doc Rivers surrendering his front office power, Tom Ziller of SB Nation writes that Pistons head coach Stan Van Gundy should do the same.

In the piece, Ziller praises Rivers for giving up the power of possessing dual roles as someone who has been so famous and successful. Rivers quietly accepted a demotion and seems to have handled the transition in stride. Earlier this offseason, Hawks head coach Mike Budenholzer was also stripped of his front office power with the team installing GM Travis Schlenk above him in the decision-making hierarchy.

Ziller goes on to write that Van Gundy’s 2016/17 team was extremely disappointing and comprised mostly Van Gundy acquisitions. SVG previously traded for Reggie Jackson and paid him a tremendous amount and drafted Stanley Johnson in the lottery. Both players have been monumental disappointments. Ziller argues that while Van Gundy is a talented coach, “someone else needs to be in the seat of power when it comes to roster.”

Here’s what else you should know from the Central division:

Pistons wing Stanley Johnson, who underwhelmed in 2016/17, lies at the heart of SVG’s vision for the team to be elite on defense, writes Keith Langois of NBA.com. Detroit spent most of last season as a top-10 defensive squad before finishing the season at No. 11. Van Gundy said: “I think now we have a chance to become an elite defensive team and Stanley’s a huge part of that. And then I think it’s for him to really find his offensive game and it takes some guys some time. Whether he’s starting or coming off the bench, his primary role will be to guard the best forward or a big two guard every night. Avery (Bradley) will take on the challenge of guarding the best guard every night and then Andre (Drummond) will take on more responsibility as a defender and that’s our way to becoming an elite defensive team.”
The Pistons will feature Reggie Bullock for a more prominent role this upcoming season, Ansar Khan of MLive.com writes. In limited minutes in two seasons, Bullock has been the team’s best deep shooter, drilling 39.7% of his three-point attempts. Van Gundy is also high on Bullock for other reasons: “A lot of people focus on Reggie’s shooting, which is very good, but to me it’s more the way he plays the game. The ball moves when he’s out there, he makes quick decisions, he moves very well without the ball, he helps other people play well. And at the other end he defends, so he’s a two-way player who helps your team function at both ends of the floor. We’re looking forward to having Reggie back, healthier than he’s been, hopefully, and available for a lot more action because he has helped us play very well.”
The pressure is on for head coach Jason Kidd and his Bucks, writes James Blancarte of Basketball Insiders. With many Eastern Conference teams taking significant steps backward this offseason, the athletic and upstart Bucks carry lofty expectations entering the 2017/18 season. For a detailed look at why so much is expected of Kidd and the Bucks this coming season, I highly recommend reading Blancarte’s piece.

Bucks Rumors: GM Search, Garrity, Simon, Kidd

June 1st, 2017 at 12:56pm CST by Luke Adams

A Wednesday report indicated that the Bucks have received permission to interview at least four executives from various teams around the NBA for their open general manager position. However, Milwaukee’s list of potential GM targets in longer than that. A source familiar with the team tells Gery Woelfel of The Racine Journal Times that at least five other execs are under consideration by the Bucks, with about three dozen NBA officials having expressed interest in the job.

While Woelfel doesn’t specify any additional candidates, Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical provides two more names, tweeting that Milwaukee has been granted permission to speak to Pistons executive Pat Garrity and Heat assistant GM Adam Simon. Garrity was said to be a candidate for the top job in Orlando before the Magic hired Jeff Weltman and John Hammond.

Woelfel has more info on the team’s GM search in his latest piece, so let’s dive in and round up the highlights…

Head coach Jason Kidd may be considered down the road for a top basketball operations role, but he’s not a candidate to take over that role in the short term, sources tell Woelfel. Still, Kidd will meet with the finalists for the position to ensure that they’ll have a good working relationship.
Assistant GM Justin Zanik is viewed as a strong candidate to be promoted to GM, but even if he doesn’t receive an official promotion, he’ll be well-compensated. According to Woelfel, Zanik’s contract includes a unique clause that stipulates his pay will be equal to that of the new GM.
Grizzlies VP of player personnel Ed Stefanski, one of the four candidates the Bucks received permission to interview, is viewed by several NBA officials as the frontrunner for the Bucks’ top job, reports Woelfel. Previous report have indicated that the relationship between Stefanski and Bucks consultant Rod Thorn is a strong factor working in Stefanski’s favor. The two men worked together in New Jersey and are longtime friends.
On Thursday, we examined five key questions facing the Bucks this offseason, including who will be calling the shots on personnel decisions.

Bucks Notes: Snell, Brogdon, Maker

April 22nd, 2017 at 5:14pm CST by ChrisCrouse

The Bucks swapped Michael Carter-Williams for Tony Snell right before the season started and the small forward has become one of the team’s most important players, Gery Woelfel of the Journal Times details. Snell has become a top defender on the team, as evidenced by his performance against DeMar DeRozan in Game 3 of the team’s opening round series. On offense, Snell’s improved 3-point shooting gives the team another lethal option from behind the arc.

“At the beginning of the season, Tony said he wanted to be a 3 and D guy. He wanted to shoot 3s really well and play defense really well, locking up people. And he’s taken that to heart. He’s playing at a high level defensively,’’ teammate Malcolm Brogdon said.

Snell will be a restricted free agent at the end of the season and he should garner interest from rival teams. 6’7″ wings who shoot over 40% from three and play great defense are alway in demand and I speculate that Snell nabs a contract with annual values ranging from $12-14MM. The Bucks have approximately $82MM in guaranteed salaries on the books for next season against a projected $101MM salary cap, though they could go over the cap to sign the small forward since they own his bird rights.

Here’s more from Milwaukee:

The Bucks are the first team since the 2012/13 Warriors to start two rookies in a playoff game and the team has put in a lot of work to get them ready for the postseason, Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today writes.“[Thon Maker] and Malcolm believe that they can do the job,” coach Jason Kidd said. “The guys on the floor and on the bench support them, and the coaching staff has done everything to prepare them for this moment. It’s up to them to be basketball players, and they’re very comfortable with doing that.”

Maker is embracing his role as a defensive-minded starter on the Bucks, Michael Grange of SportsNet relays. “Bringing energy, blocking shots. It starts at the defensive end. Offensively it’s spacing the floor and using my knowledge of the game at this point to make plays for others and myself, but at this point it’s mostly on the defensive end,” Maker said.
If the Bucks had their own D-League affiliate, Maker may not be playing for the NBA club, Grange adds in the same piece. The team wanted to get him experience but didn’t want to send him to another team’s affiliate and potentially waste time. Stuck without many options, the coaching staff found a solution in playing Maker in limited minutes in the starting lineup. “So, we needed to play him and after talking with the coaching staff we thought, ‘Let’s look at starting him and being able to benefit, using his energy but also an opportunity to play so it’s not a wasted season,’‘ Kidd said.

Sixers Notes: Long, Brown, TLC, Anderson, Embiid

March 14th, 2017 at 3:35pm CST by Milo Taibi

Shawn Long is likely to stick with the Sixers after his 10-day contract expires, Jessica Camerato of CSN reports. Long, whose contract expires Wednesday, has earned the respect of coach Brett Brown.

“I think we’re going through that,” Brown said of making a decision on Long’s contract. “It wouldn’t surprise me. I have no desire, personally, to look elsewhere. He’s a part of what we’ve been doing.”

“We feel like he’s ours. His ability to step out and make a three, his ability to have a finesse move at a post, he does have length, he does play hard, he is fluid in his movements. All those things give you hope that maybe there is a place for him. He’s young, he’s a good young man, he works. There’s really nothing but positives that come to my mind when you mention his name.”

As Camerato mentions, the health of Tiago Splitter may influence the team’s decision to tender Long another contract. As Keith Pompey of Philly.com recently reported, the team was considering working Splitter out with the Delaware 87ers.

Central Notes: Maker, Korver, Baynes, Parker

February 10th, 2017 at 5:43pm CST by Milo Taibi

Howard Beck of Bleacher Report profiled Thon Maker of the Bucks; the team’s “Secret Unicorn.” Maker has been used sparingly in his rookie season – reaching double-digit minutes just four times – but has earned the respect of his colleagues in practice, earning the nickname “The Sheriff,” due to his vocal and attentive nature.

The reigning #10 overall NBA draft pick, Maker hadn’t been scouted as extensively as other players in the class of ’16. The Bucks selected Maker as a sign of confidence in their ability to nurture talent, Beck writes, opting for a “high-risk, high-ceiling” asset at No. 10.

“We look at the risk as being more minimal, only because we believe in the person,” Bucks GM John Hammond said regarding Maker.

Leading up to tonight’s match-up with the Lakers, coach Jason Kidd announced Maker would replace the injured Jabari Parker in Milwaukee’s starting five.

Other goings-on around the Central…

Kyle Korver has fit in nicely on the Cavaliers bench, Dave McMenamin of ESPN writes. Dubbed “The American Eagle” by teammates, Korver has averaged 10.4 points on 49.4% shooting from beyond the arc since being dealt to Cleveland. “Kyle is getting more and more comfortable with what we want to do offensively and defensively,” LeBron James said of his teammate. “The one by our bench that he caught that was thrown all the way over the top to our bench, and he just looked at the floor, and Glenn Robinson III was right in his face, and he still shot it? That’s just a sharpshooter right there.”
The Pistons bench has provided a lift on each end of the court, Rod Beard of The Detroit News writes. “Any time we start getting those stops, we get out in transition and that’s where we start looking good,” Aron Baynes said. “The coaches have been making a point that we need to get better all year. The last few games the starters have been taking that message and it’s fuel for the team.” The second unit’s excellent play is much-needed, as Detroit’s starting lineup have averaged 81.2PPG, 24th in the league.
Stephen Watson of WISN spoke with Bucks GM John Hammond, who noted “we feel comfortable with who we are,” following Parker‘s season-ending injury. While Hammond also mentioned “the trade deadline is approaching,” it appears the team does not have an immediate contingency plan to replace Parker in Kidd‘s rotation. Parker was having a career year prior to his ACL injury, averaging 20.1 points with 6.2 rebounds through 51 games. In the interim, Lakers coach Luke Walton said he expects Milwaukee to “rally around Parker’s situation,” according to Charles F. Gardner of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

Bucks Happy With Michael Carter-Williams?

October 8th, 2016 at 7:12pm CST by ChrisCrouse

Michael Carter-Williams has been the subject of several trade rumors since the end of last season, including this week’s report that he was shopped to Sacramento for Ben McLemore. Head coach Jason Kidd defended Carter-Williams and reiterated the team’s commitment to the point guard in an interview on Sirius XMNBA Radio (h/t Kurt Helin of NBC Sports for the transcript).

“Rumors are just part of this business,” Kidd said “We’re happy with Michael. He’s had a great summer and has worked extremely hard and it showed in the first game in Chicago. He came off the bench and I think he led us in rebounds. He can be one of the best wing defenders in this league. He helped us late in the game running the team at the point guard position. There’s always speculation around different guys, but I think Michael is going to help us win.”

The Bucks will be without Khris Middleton for roughly six months and team will likely need to add another piece to remain competent on the offensive end. MCW has struggled with his shooting since coming into the league, nailing just 25.5% of his 3-point shots. Milwaukee brought in Matthew Dellavedova during the offseason. That, coupled with the fact that the team is toying with starting Giannis Antetokounmpo at the point guard position, could make the 2013/14 Rookie of the Year even more expendable.

While Kidd’s endorsement is a positive for Carter-Williams, it doesn’t mean he’s in the team’s long-term plans and I’ll speculate this week’s report won’t be the last time we see his name pop up in trade rumors. Stay tuned.

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