The Official NBA Season Thread: USA Setting Up for a SFA

I will say that I appreciate JJ fighting against a lot of the racist comments guys like Stephen and Mad Dog spew about the NBA
 
The defense was too aggressive and the offense was messy. Not a coincidence that once Bud got there, he cleaned things up and the team leveled up.

I think there was an issue of his agency having too much influence in Milwaukee too.
When he's had the defensive personnel in Dallas, he's generally put together damned good game plans and fielded elite defensive units.

Offense is still a **** show sometimes - though I think some of that can probably be attributed to Luka's style of play just being what it is. You just kinda roll the ball out and take the incredible with the bad... Kidd's consistently been damned good in dead ball/ATO situations though.

He's got his warts, but he's in his second conference finals in three years. Front office had some misses along the way, but when he's had a roster that fits what he wants to do, he's delivered.
 
I think he's a replacement level coach, but he does have command of the team and installs a level of belief. He doesn't really have to worry about the offense with Luka and Kyrie there. And Sweeney does a great job scheming the team defense.

I wasn't the biggest J Kidd, but it seems crazy to call him replacement level.

Could the replacement level coach

- have a rookie center anchoring an elite playoff defense
- Turn Kyrie into an above average defensive PG.
- PJ Washington turning into a high level switch big
- have an elite playoff defense despite Luka being a massive target.


The offense system is prob replacement level but that's fine when you got Luka.
but I don't think you can look at the defense and say a random available coach could have done this.

even wtih questionable personnel J Kidd has generally always got these guys to defend above their talent level.
 
I wasn't the biggest J Kidd, but it seems crazy to call him replacement level.

Could the replacement level coach

- have a rookie center anchoring an elite playoff defense
- Turn Kyrie into an above average defensive PG.
- PJ Washington turning into a high level switch big
- have an elite playoff defense despite Luka being a massive target.


The offense system is prob replacement level but that's fine when you got Luka.
but I don't think you can look at the defense and say a random available coach could have done this.

even wtih questionable personnel J Kidd has generally always got these guys to defend above their talent level.
-I was a big Lively fan going into last year's draft, so I'm not super surprised he's been this good defensively.
-Kyrie has shown in the past when it's playoff time, he does defend.
-PJ Washington's versatility has always been there and all that was needed was a team to rescue him from Charlotte.
-I give Kidd credit for poking at Luka all the time to be competent on defense.

I thought prior to the Washington-Gafford trades, Kidd was trending like his Bucks tenure where the defense is initially elite, before being sliced and diced after a season. But kudos to him and his staff for righting the ship.
 
The replacement level remember is

"the level of performance an average team can expect when trying to replace a player/coach at minimal cost"

Who is a coach you can get for like cheap salary who is available and you could hire instantly without cost.
Who is that, I don't even think Darvin Ham would qualify, Steve Clifford maybe but that's more age related than performance?

really replacement level is probably lower maybe like David Fizdale?


no way if Jason Kidd was fired today a team could get him for like a cheap salary, with no competition .
 
-I was a big Lively fan going into last year's draft, so I'm not super surprised he's been this good defensively.
I thought it was a good pick but no matter how big of a fan you were of lively the history of the NBA says rookie C struggle initially with the demands of nba defense.
let alone high level playoff scheming and adjustments,

by any estimate he is performing better than even the most positive expectations.

-Kyrie has shown in the past when it's playoff time, he does defend.

he's shown this intermittently.
Kyrie's been consistently very good all year. imo this has been by far his best most defensive consistent season.

ultimately i think your conception of replacement level is too low,
replacement level is the best coach you could hire with the lowest coach salary in the NBA and they'd accept the job.
 
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