The Brooklyn Nets have officially hired their third coach in one year as the team announced newly retired NBA star Jason Kidd would take over as the leader of the team. Many NBA experts believe this is a hire that is a risk that will either reap a great reward or end in failure at the end of his three-year contract. Point guard Deron Williams is echoing these statements, but is excited at the idea of Kidd as his new coach.
Williams supports the gamble the Nets took when they hired Kidd. Williams is in favor of the idea of another point guard taking over the team, noting Kidd is a basketball genius.
"Nobody knows if he's going to be a great coach. It's going to take him a couple years to adjust. But at the same time, he could be a great coach off the bat. It's a risk, but I think it's somebody we can grow with. I think it's somebody we're definitely going to respect and listen to. And I'm excited about the ways he's going to help me as a player and a leader," Williams said.
Growing up, Kidd was the kind of player that Williams hoped to one day become. The two were once teammates when they played together on the 2008 Olympic Team. Williams believes that Kidd's basketball IQ is "just off the charts."
"I think he's going to be a great coach. He's probably been coaching on the floor for the last five, six years. And I've played with him on the Olympic team and saw how smart he is, saw how he was really coaching us out there," Williams said.
Most of the Nets players believed that management would go after a coach with proven experience and success in the league after they parted ways with both Avery Johnson and P.J. Carlesimo during the 2013 season. This will be Kidd's first ever coaching job. He is jumping right from retirement on the court to a career on the sidelines.
Williams thinks that Kidd's freshness will be a great value to the team. He does not believe recycling coaches is always the best approach when hiring someone new. He thinks Kidd will come with a different set of eyes than someone that has been coaching in the league for years.
The relationship between Kidd and Williams will be important for the overall success of Brooklyn. The two have been long-time golfing buddies and often vacation together in the offseason. Williams stresses that the two's friendship will not get in the way of Kidd becoming a successful coach. He intends on letting Kidd yell at him and boss him around just like any other coach.
