Apr 20, 2015; Chicago, IL, USA; Milwaukee Bucks head coach Jason Kidd breaks up an altercation including Chicago Bulls guard
Jimmy Butler(21) and Milwaukee Bucks guard
Khris Middleton(22) during the second quarter in game two of the first round of the 2015 NBA Playoffs at the United Center. Mandatory Credit: Mike DiNovo-USA TODAY Sports
13. Jason Kidd, Milwaukee Bucks
I’ll be the first to admit that I was wrong about Jason Kidd. After Kidd’s not so amicable departure from Brooklyn, I thought that there was no way he would be able to turn Milwaukee into a playoff team. Not only did Kidd get the Bucks into the playoffs, but somehow he also turned Khris Middleton into a $70-million player. WHO GIVES KHRIS MIDDLETON $70 MILLION?
As a head coach, Kidd is 85-79 and has already won seven playoff games. He is a rare exception to recently retired players exhibiting success as NBA head coaches (see No. 30 for how it panned out for Derek Fisher), and with the addition of Greg Monroe, the Bucks probably still won’t be a contender in the Eastern Conference. But, maybe they could lock up a No. 5 seed?
Next: Kevin McHale