The Milwaukee Bucks had a disappointing second season under head coach Jason Kidd. After a surprising leap into the playoffs last year, the Bucks were unable to replicate that same success.
But according to Kidd, the season was not as disappointing as it looked from the outside. Kidd found positives in the growth from the team’s young core and placed much of the blame for the step back on losing several veterans and hoping the young team could win on its own.
Kidd wrote about many of the young players on the Bucks’ roster glowingly. He discussed the success the Bucks had with Giannis Antetokounmpo as the de facto point guard and the all-star potential of Khris Middleton. Kidd also wrote about the growth of Jabari Parker who finally grew into his own near the end of the season and looked to become a big part of the Bucks’ future.
The head coach also wrote about his offseason plans of getting better at his job and clarified on rumors. There has been much speculation about Kidd hoping to create a power move and become the general manager of the team but Kidd did his best to lay that to rest while also speaking about his relationship with the Bucks’ current GM, John Hammond:
I think John and I have been a pretty good team together. The things that have been reported about my relationship with him simply aren’t true. He and I have a great relationship. When he has asked for my input, I have given to him, and that’s that. All the speculation about me wanting to be the general manager of the franchise is totally false.
John has done a great job of being the GM here in Milwaukee. I have total respect for what he does for this organization. I understand the success that he’s had, and have enjoyed learning from him. He’s been in this business and been doing it for a long time. He won a championship in Detroit, so he knows what it means and what it takes to build a winner. And because he has also coached in this league, he’s seen it from that side, too. We both come to the office everyday to continue to look at what we can do going forward to get better as a team.
This could all be a way for Kidd to take speculation away but it at least seems like he is being truthful. Milwaukee has built a great, young team through the draft, free agency, and trades and Hammond should be commended for that. Similarly, Kidd did a great job coaching what was previously the worst team in the league to a playoff berth in his first season. The two have been a great duo as Milwaukee continues to take steps forward in its future.
Jason Kidd finally spoke about his health which is a concern after he took time away from coaching to receive surgery and rehab. The head coach says he is healthy, however, and ready to start a new season as the head coach of the Bucks.
