Tag: Jason Kidd

Hall of Famer Jason Kidd declares Paolo Banchero the Rookie of the Year front-runner

The Hall of Famer also gave Banchero a lofty comparison to another Hall of Famer.

No. 1 pick Paolo Banchero is off to an incredible start with the Orlando Magic and is solidifying his place atop the rookie class.

Banchero on Monday became just the fifth teenager in history to record consecutive 30-point games (19 years, 360 days old) and the first since Zion Williamson in February 2020. He was the third rookie in team history to do so (Shaquille O’Neal, Dennis Scott).

He is averaging 23.5 points, 8.3 rebounds and 3.6 assists on 46.1% shooting from the field this season. He has scored at least 20 points in nine of his 11 games and leads the rookie class in class in scoring. He is 22nd among all players in that category.

The early play by Banchero has earned high praise from several individuals around the league, including Draymond Green, Jayson Tatum and, now, Dallas Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd.

Kidd declared Banchero as the favorite for Rookie of the Year.

He reminds me of Grant Hill. His ability to handle, bring it (up the court and) to be able to shoot the middy at a high rate. He is always under control. I hope he doesn’t take offense to that but Grant was pretty good. But someone at his size and to be able to bring the ball and do the things that he has done so far and he will only get better so that’s why I give him high praise of being Rookie of the Year right now. He has to be the favorite because of the things that he is doing.

While the Hall of Famer is seemingly a fan of Banchero, Hill also liked Banchero entering the draft. He loves the combination of size and skill that Banchero has and even wanted the Magic to select his fellow Duke brother prior to the draft.

Said Hill in June:

I followed Duke a lot this year and I covered them a lot in March Madness. Paolo has a great combination of size, skill and feel, and you don’t see that a lot in players. He is 6 foot, 10 inches and 250 pounds so that in itself is great size and not everybody has that. … Since I live in Orlando, and Paolo went to Duke, I’d like to see them take Paolo Banchero.

Certainly, earning comparisons to a Hall of Famer from another Hall of Famer so early into his professional career is high praise for Banchero. He even recently joined Hill in a bit of history after his quick start with the Magic.

He joined Hill and three others as the only players since the merger (1976-77) to record at least 25 points, five rebounds and five assists in a debut game. He also tied Hill for the most consecutive 20-point games in history to start a career (6).

Banchero is proving to be as advertised as the top pick and has helped transform the Magic on and off the court. The team is still some time away from putting it all together, but it is clear it has a star in the making in Banchero.

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Dallas Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd among those who’d have preferred the NBA honored Bill Russell more in his lifetime

Kidd met Russell early in life through his godfather Jim Hadnot, a lifelong friend of the Celtics legend.

Dallas Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd knew Hall of Fame Boston Celtics big man Bill Russell for most of his life and can be counted among those who would have preferred the NBA had done more to honor the Celtics great while he was still with us, according to recent reporting from Sports Illustrated’s Landon Buford.

“I think it’s incredible that we have an opportunity to honor Bill Russell,” said Kidd after a recent Mavs practice. “Unfortunately, we did lose a great man, but sometimes we should think about honoring people when they are still around, but it’s still the right thing to do, to retire No. 6.”

“I’ve known Bill since I was 10 years old,” Kidd continued. “I’ve been very fortunate to have met him when I was a little kid in the Bay Area because of Jim Hadnot (Jason Kidd’s godfather and a lifelong friend of Russell).

“He’s always going to be one of my favorite athletes, one of my favorite people to be around, because I was always scared of him.”

Listen to the “Celtics Lab” podcast on:

Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3zBKQY6

Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3GfUPFi

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Jason Kidd credits former Lakers coach Frank Vogel for his success

Mavs head coach Jason Kidd feels former Lakers coach Frank Vogel has made him better at his craft.

When the Los Angeles Lakers won the 2020 NBA championship, they had Frank Vogel as head coach and a future head coaching prospect in Jason Kidd as an assistant.

He had previously coached the Milwaukee Bucks but had been fired early in the 2017-18 season, and many felt he would soon get another head coaching job somewhere.

Last summer, Kidd left the Lakers to succeed Rick Carlisle with the Dallas Mavericks. The Mavs weren’t expected to do much this season, but after starting 16-18, they became one of the hottest teams in the NBA.

Now, they will face the Golden State Warriors in the Western Conference Finals after pulling off a massive upset of the top-seeded Phoenix Suns.

Kidd readily gave Vogel credit for getting him ready to take the Mavs further than anyone thought they would go.

“Yeah, I guess assistant coach doesn’t count to be able to make it to the Western Conference Finals, but Frank Vogel, it’s an easy answer, Frank Vogel prepared me for this and then also my early stops in Brooklyn and Milwaukee. Just understanding, putting guys in a position to be successful and then also listening to your star player, he wants to have fun so let’s have fun. And the accountability piece, those are the words that we talked about this season and that’s what we hold each other accountable. It’s those words that we came up with and no one’s exempt from them. There’s a lot of things I’ve learned in the last couple of years about coaching, but you have to have talent too to win and that’s what I have here in Dallas.”

Plenty of Lakers fans have bemoaned the fact that Kidd was no longer a member of the team this season, especially now that Vogel has been fired.

Kidd would’ve been a very solid head coaching candidate for the Purple and Gold if he had still been on Vogel’s staff this year.

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Mic’d up Jason Kidd shouting defensive assignments to the Mavericks is the best Game 7 video

This is so good.

When it comes to NBA mic’d up videos — the official ones, not the Devin Booker “Luka Special” things — we usually get something fairly straightforward and not the kind of trash talk or intrigue that we hope for.

But this video from Game 7 of the Dallas Mavericks’ blowout of the Phoenix Suns is so so good, and fans are sharing it like crazy.

It’s Mavs coach Jason Kidd mic’d up, and all you hear is him shouting to his team on defense on one possession. To me, this is what we need all the time — we’re learning how coaches are playing in chess in real time.

Check out the video and the reaction to it:

Jason Kidd throws shade at Chris Paul about ‘being taught’ how to draw fouls

Kidd really wants this series to get spicy.

After the first two games of their second-round series, it looked like the Suns would roll the Mavericks off the floor. Phoenix exposed everything wrong with Dallas, and it seemed a sweep was inevitable.

Two games and a half-week later, and we have a tie series at two games apiece. Go figure.

Sunday saw Dallas (who were +3 underdogs) in cruise control at home. Aside from an early Suns flurry, Luka Doncic and Co. never let up in a convincing 103-94 win. In the post-game, Jason Kidd had some interesting comments when breaking down the Mavs’ approach in the clutch.

The coach took a shot, again, at Chris Paul:

It’s worth noting that this is mostly unprompted aside from on-court play. Paul hasn’t directly addressed anything Kidd has said (other matters not withstanding). Yet, here Kidd is, saying his squad is benefitting from the same sorts of underhanded play that Paul usually enjoys!

Talk about leaving no room for the imagination.

Kidd’s shot at Paul after Game 4 is right in line with his shot at Paul after Game 3: He wished the Taurus (learning new things!) point guard well on his May 6th birthday following another win.

I don’t know what Kidd will say to Paul if the Mavericks eliminate the Suns, but color me intrigued. What’s next: He says Isaiah Thomas was better? The suspense is terrible. I hope it will last.

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Mavericks coach Jason Kidd gives his take on LeBron vs Jordan debate

Who does former Lakers assistant coach Jason Kidd think is the greatest player in NBA history?

For the last several years, perhaps the hottest debate in basketball has been whether LeBron James has equaled or perhaps surpassed LeBron James as the greatest player in NBA history.

As James started to rack up championship rings with the Miami Heat, Cleveland Cavaliers and Los Angeles Lakers, more and more people, especially Millennials, felt that James was closing the cap or had closed the gap between him and the former Chicago Bulls superstar.

There often seems to be a recency bias when it comes to these debates, but James has a growing legion of supporters who feel that he is or at least will be considered the greatest in the history of the game.

Count Dallas Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd among those supporters.

Jason Kidd gives high praise to Pistons rookie Cade Cunningham

Ahead of his first matchup versus Dallas, Cunningham earned high praise from Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd.

Ahead of his first matchup of the season versus Dallas, Detroit Pistons rookie Cade Cunningham earned high praise from Mavericks head coach and Hall of Famer Jason Kidd.

Cunningham, who missed the first meeting against the Mavericks on Feb. 8, recorded 25 points, nine assists, seven rebounds, two steals and one blocked shot in the 131-113 loss on Wednesday. It was his eighth game of the season with at least 25 points, five assists and five rebounds.

The No. 1 pick is in contention to win Rookie of the Year behind a strong season with the Pistons. Kidd believes it should be Cunningham that wins the award.

He has done an incredible job in his first year. I think he has had some injuries but I think the big thing is to be so young and so talented, it matches this league. He is probably the favorite to win Rookie of the Year but to be able to be a point guard and do the things he has done on a nightly basis is very impressive.

Cunningham, in 63 games, is averaging 17.5 points, 5.5 rebounds, 5.5 assists and 1.2 steals. He currently leads the rookie class in scoring average and is second in assists and third in steals. He was also the youngest player in team history to register a triple-double at 20 years, 57 days.

The Rookie of the Year race projects to be tight this season with several other players in the mix to win, including Evan Mobley, Scottie Barnes and Franz Wagner. But in Kidd’s eyes, it may very well be Cunningham that is the eventual winner.

This post originally appeared on Rookie Wire! Follow us on Facebook!

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Alperen Sengun continues strong play in Houston’s icy loss at Dallas

Rookie big man Alperen Sengun had 14 points and 11 rebounds in just 22 minutes, but Houston connected on just 4-of-28 from 3-point range (14.3%) in a blowout loss at Dallas.

Rookie big man Alperen Sengun had 14 points and 11 rebounds in just 22 minutes on Wednesday, but Houston connected on just 4-of-28 from 3-point range (14.3%) in a 110-91 loss (box score) at Dallas.

Sengun connected on 6-of-12 shots from the field (50.0%), and he also had 2 steals and 2 assists. Other Houston players to score in double-figures included Jae’Sean Tate (13 points, 5 rebounds); Christian Wood (12 points, 10 rebounds); Kevin Porter Jr. (11 points, 5 assists); Dennis Schroder (11 points), and Josh Christopher (11 points).

But the story of the game was Houston’s relative inefficiency, particularly in the second half, versus the switching defense employed by Jason Kidd and his Mavericks. Rookie guard Jalen Green had his worst game in some time, scoring just 8 points in 32 minutes on 3-of-11 shooting (27.3%). Green missed all four of his 3-pointers, as well.

After leading by a point at halftime, the Rockets were outscored 58-38 in the second half. With Luka Doncic out with knee soreness, the Mavericks were led by starting guards Spencer Dinwiddie (26 points, 61.5% FG, 6 assists) and Jalen Brunson (28 points, 52.6% FG, 3 assists), who routinely collapsed Houston’s defense with hard drives to the bucket.

Scroll on for highlights and postgame reaction. By winning, the Mavericks (45-28) moved into a tie for the No. 4 seed in the Western Conference and potential home-court advantage in the first round of the playoffs. Meanwhile, the young and rebuilding Rockets (18-55) built upon their lead for the No. 1 positioning slot entering the 2022 NBA draft lottery.

Sixers, Mavericks see similarities in stars James Harden, Luka Doncic

Both the Philadelphia 76ers and the Dallas Mavericks see similarities in stars James Harden and Luka Doncic.

PHILADELPHIA–As the Philadelphia 76ers and the Dallas Mavericks prepared for battle in the City of Brotherly Love on Friday, there was a lot that went into this game.

While the two teams are in opposite conferences, they have two stars in James Harden for Philadelphia and Luka Doncic for Dallas who are somewhat similar.

Both players are elite scorers, playmakers, and rebounders and they are also guys teams can’t speed up. The two of them are elite at holding onto the ball and making the opposition play at their pace in order to get their offense.

Before the game, which turned out to be a Sixers win, coach Doc Rivers and Mavericks coach Jason Kidd saw some similarities in the two stars.

“They have so many similarities, it’s unbelievable,” said Rivers. “I think for a while there, it was Luka or James leading the league in time of possession. I thought most people probably thought it was James, it was actually Luka for the last three or four years with the ball in his hands. You can pressure them, you can double team them, they’re just not gonna speed up for you. You’re not gonna speed them up, either one of them.”

To Rivers’ point, Doncic leads the league in time per possession at 9.4 seconds and Harden is right behind him at 9.3 per NBA stars. The two of them are elite at manipulating the defense.

“They know their rhythm, they know what they’re trying to do, and that’s why they’re the best in the league of understanding how to get to their spots and they’re very successful when they get to their spots,” said Kidd. “It’s cool that you have two guys who aren’t going extremely fast, but are still dangerous of being able to get to their spots. Harden and Luka having the ball, they’re tough because you always gotta send two guys at them.”

The only real difference is the age between the two of them. Harden is 32-years old and Doncic is only 23, but there is no question that the two of them are at the top of the league in terms of being able to do everything out on the floor.

“The difference is James’ age,” Rivers laughed. “Luka is 20-whatever, he came in the league with that. That’s unusual. It’s the first thing we saw when we saw him play in the NBA. The guy moves like a veteran, he plays like a veteran, he’s already at NBA speed, and each year, he’s becoming a better shooter each year. A great finisher, he’s just tough. He’s a tough cover.”

This post originally appeared on Sixers Wire! Follow us on Facebook!

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Jason Kidd: Frank Vogel should only be judged when Lakers are healthy

Los Angeles Lakers coach Frank Vogel may be on the hot seat, but one of his former colleagues gave him some public support the other day.

As the Los Angeles Lakers have continued to struggle this season, many have been calling for head coach Frank Vogel to be fired.

Some are even predicting that it will happen, perhaps once the team’s season is over.

But one man who has worked closely with Vogel feels that he’s being judged unfairly and that his performance this season should only be truly analyzed once his team is healthy.

Via LakersNation:

“Frank is great. He’s going to work through this process that he’s going through with this team,” said Jason Kidd before the Lakers played the Dallas Mavericks on Tuesday. “Frank is a great coach in this league. As much as we want to put the blame on coaches, it’s part of the show. Players have to take accountability, too. He’s won a championship here in L.A., so I think he’s going to be fine.

“He’s got the best player in the world, they just got to get healthy. That’s everything. We saw that in Dallas, we had COVID, we had injuries. To be judged once your team is healthy, then it’s fair to be judged whether you’re doing a good job or not.”

Kidd was a major part of Vogel’s coaching staff the previous two seasons. He is now doing a fine job with the Mavs, who have climbed to the fifth seed in the Western Conference.

Meanwhile, L.A. is clinging to the ninth spot and is only 1.5 games ahead of the 10th-place New Orleans Pelicans.

Losers of three in a row and 10 of their last 13, the Lakers will look to get back on track on Thursday night against the Los Angeles Clippers.

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