Jason Kidd Credits Lakers Assistant Job For Mavs Coaching Success
Jason Kidd is having the most successful coaching season of his career. The Dallas Mavericks are 49-30 with three games left in the regular season, and a win over the Detroit Pistons Wednesday night would give Kidd the first 50-win season of his coaching career.
Having an opportunity to coach an MVP candidate in Luka Doncic is a significant reason for Kidd's success in 2022. But the primary aspects are the lessons and growth Kidd experienced during his two-year stint serving as an assistant to Frank Vogel with the Los Angeles Lakers.
"You see things differently," Kidd told reporters after practice on Tuesday. "It's an opportunity to better your craft. Learning from Frank was great. He is always in a good mood, and he competes to win. He communicates with everyone. I've learned a lot over those two seasons."
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Vogel endorsed Kidd for Coach of the Year honors before the Mavericks' 128-110 victory over the Lakers on March 29.
Vogel has been impressed by the defensive enhancements the Mavericks have taken under Kidd's stewardship. He noticed that his former assistant has implemented a few of the Lakers' defensive schemes that helped Los Angeles win their 17th title in franchise history during the 2020 campaign.
Last season, the Mavericks finished with the league's 21st ranked defense. They gave up an average of 110.2 points while recording a defensive net rating of 112.3. Dallas has produced a top-10 defense in 2022. The Mavericks have held their opponents' scoring to 104.8 points per game with a 109.2 defensive net rating.
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"I feel like there is a great deal of benefit that comes with being an assistant coach," Vogel said. "You get to learn how others do the job. Each time you spend working on a different coaching staff, you can always pick up one or two things. It's an opportunity to learn. And I think both of us have benefited from those two situations.
"He has done a phenomenal job in Dallas. As someone who preaches the extra pass and defense, he is a big part of their success so far this season."
Given that the Lakers failed to qualify for the Play-In Tournament, it wouldn’t be a shock to anyone if Vogel ends up getting fired in the near future. If that does happen, perhaps Kidd could find a way to squeeze Vogel into his already-stellar Mavs coaching staff for next season.
Mavs GM Nico Harrison took it one step further when it comes to Kidd’s time as an assistant with the Lakers.
“The thing people don’t really put a lot of emphasis on is the job he did with the Lakers,” Harrison said in an exclusive interview on the Mavs Step Back Podcast. “The Lakers don’t win the [2020] championship without what he did. The way he’s able to communicate with superstars, the way he’s able to support the team [was vital].”
Joining the Lakers' coaching staff was the first time Kidd operated as an assistant. He immediately jumped into coaching after retiring as a player in 2013 when he took the helm as coach of the Brooklyn Nets. The Nets went 44-38 in his lone season.
Kidd spent the next four seasons with the Bucks, where he led the team to a pair of postseason appearances. Kidd currently holds a coaching record of 232-220 in six seasons.
