Brooklyn Nets Hiring Jason Kidd as Head Coach is Risky Move

By Michael Moraitis - Featured Columnist
Follow me on Twitter: @michaelmoraitis

Jason Kidd is set to become the next head coach of the Brooklyn Nets and it couldn't be a more risky move by owner Mikhail Prokhorov and the organization.

According to Joseph A. Gambardello of Philly.com, Kidd is expected to be the main man on Brooklyn's bench for the next three seasons although the terms of his contract are still being worked out.

With all the glitz and glamour that came with the move to Brooklyn for the Nets, it was apparent their owner wanted a big name, headline-grabbing coach to take over after Avery Johnson was fired and P.J. Carlesimo was predictably let go at season's end.

Kidd certainly qualifies as such for Brooklyn after putting together an incredible Hall of Fame career that has him well-respected as one of the smartest and best players ever to grace the hardwood floors of an NBA court.


A portion of that fine career was spent with the Nets (in New Jersey) where he led the team to the finest stretch in its history which culminated in two NBA Finals appearances—both losses. Still, despite his inability to bring a title to New Jersey, Kidd is rightfully adored by most fans of the organization.

Such a high-profile player becoming a coach is certainly big news and while Kidd's smarts for the game are not in question, his experience certainly is.


It was just a month ago that Kidd was finishing up his career as a member of the New York Knicks and within days of his announced retirement, Kidd was already talking coaching and all of a sudden the Nets job popped up as a realistic possibility.

Granted, the reunion between Kidd and the Nets makes sense on many levels, there is no guarantee that it will work out.

Kidd may have the brains to be a coach, but it takes more than just brains to get the job done. He will also have to handle the personalities that are today's NBA players and also put those same players in the best position possible to succeed.

It is no small task to hop into a coaching job the way Kidd is right away without getting any time as an assistant, which is an inherent risk Brooklyn is taking in hiring the rookie coach.

Not to mention, Prokhorov has invested a boatload of money in this team as a whole, so he is looking for nothing short of success and ultimately, an NBA title. Brooklyn certainly has plenty of talent to go far in the Eastern Conference and challenge for a title, the only question that remains is if there is a coach who can get the most out of this roster and lead it to the promiseland.

It remains to be seen if Kidd can actually do that, but again, that's nowhere near a guarantee. There have been plenty of former greats in NBA history to take teams over and fail completely (see: Isiah Thomas, Larry Bird, Kevin McHale).

If Nets fans want to hang their hats on history proving a former player turned coach without any experience can pay off, they need not look any further than Mark Jackson with the Golden State Warriors.

It is true Jackson had incredible success in his first season with the Warriors, but that is a much younger team that Jackson can grow with and teach, which buys him more time. On top of that, expectations were not very high for the team and while Jackson exceeded all of the Warriors' expectations, the pressure to do so wasn't as great.

Kidd will be stepping into one of the biggest sports markets on the planet and will be expected to win right away and win big. There is a ton of talent on this roster to go far in the playoffs and nothing short of meeting the expectations of greatness will be accepted by not only the state of New York, but the Nets owner himself.

That is an enormous amount of pressure for a first-time coach with no experience on the bench and it will be a tall order for Kidd to meet. Still, if there was any inexperienced coach who can get the most out of such a good team like the Nets, Kidd has the goods to do it thanks to his great playing career.

If it works out, the Nets will look brilliant. If it doesn't, many will second guess the move forever and wonder why on Earth Brooklyn took a chance on an inexperienced, rookie coach when a more experienced one could have achieved greater things with this group of players.