The Milwaukee Bucks came a long way in just one year, from the worst record in the NBA in 2013-14 to a postseason appearance in 2014-15. Much of that transformation had to do with the arrival of Jason Kidd to coach the Bucks and help a group of young players develop.

Coach Kidd received praise from all corners for his contributions to the young Bucks. That included from within his own organization, where Milwaukee general manager, John Hammond had nothing but praise for the work done by Jason and his squad in a recent interview with Fox Sports Wisconsin:

“What Jason Kidd and these players did to have a 26-game turnaround, it is absolutely amazing to do that,” Hammond told media.

Milwaukee Bucks v Chicago Bulls - Game Two

There is no better feeling of recognition for a job well done like hearing it from the boss. Hammond pointed to not only the results of last season, but the continued progress Milwaukee is committed to making with Coach Kidd at the helm, as reason to be excited about the future of the franchise.

“It is not as hard to go from bad to good. The next step is to go from good to great,” he said. That’s where the real work comes in.”

He’s confident Jason is ready to put in the work necessary to make the leap. Coach Kidd has certainly proven that in his two stops now as NBA coach. In his lone year as the head man of the Brooklyn Nets, he led his squad through early season adversity that had them at 10-21 at the turn of the calendar into the playoffs thanks to a 34-17 finish. Then in the playoffs, Brooklyn survived a seven-round battle with Toronto to advance to the second round for the first time since J-Kidd was playing with the Nets.

Tim Bontemps of the New York Post, who witnessed the Nets transformation under Kidd first hand, wrote in February about how Jason’s system, and his knowledge of the playing-style it takes to win in the NBA, helped the Bucks thrive so quickly.

“The Nets excelled over the second half of last season playing an aggressive, small-ball scheme at both ends of the court, Kidd has used that same approach with the Bucks, resulting in plenty of success.”

Chicago Bulls v Milwaukee Bucks - Game Four

When J-Kidd took over in Milwaukee, he knew the team was gifted with “youth and athleticism” as Bontemps puts it. Fair to assume that youth may have been the most important ingredient; Coach Kidd’s impression on the young Bucks took them to a phenomenal playoff campaign.

“The players were ready for a change, too. They were tired of losing…” Gary D’Amato from the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel wrote in a column.

That coaching philosophy also included an emphasis on defense and Teddy Greenstein of the Chicago Tribune noticed a deep common denominator between Coach Kidd’s playing days and the performance of his young Milwaukee team.

“Given that Kidd ranks second all-time in assists (12,091) and steals (2,684), the Bucks’ emphasis on sharing the ball and swiping it from opponents cannot be a fluke,” Greenstein wrote.

Greenstein’s piece also draws a great comparison between Jason’s quiet confidence and his team’s honorable way of play—hard.

“If you watched J-Kidd play, his knowledge was off the charts,” ESPN analyst and veteran NBA coach P.J. Carlesimo said. “He was such a heady player, with a good feel for tempo and time. He was the epitome of a point guard, and that has translated well to his coaching.”

Utah Jazz v Milwaukee Bucks

Andrew Gruman of FOX Sports Wisconsin was particularly impressed with how Jason immediately commanded the respect of his players:

“Nobody had any idea just how quickly everything would come together,” Gruman wrote. “As the preseason neared, Kidd revealed his plan to sit a different member of the rotation for each exhibition game. It was a different philosophy, but the players bought in. The practice continued, to a lesser extent, in the regular season…Nothing alienates NBA players more than not playing as much as they’d like. There were no such issues with the Bucks, as the entire roster quickly bought into the team-first concept Kidd was selling.”

Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today dissected exactly what Jason brings to the young Bucks that makes him a perfect fit in Milwaukee.

“Kidd’s one-season tenure with the Nets didn’t work out, but almost halfway into his first season with the Bucks — and second as an NBA coach — he has been exactly what the Bucks needed. The Nets didn’t: a teacher,” Zillgitt says. “Kidd has helped create excitement in Milwaukee, and the young roster gives fans reason to believe there’s a future with good basketball in it.”

Milwaukee Bucks v Brooklyn Nets

Bradford Doolittle of ESPN penned an interesting article tackling the many sides of J-Kidd and how the second-year coach has a high ceiling:

“The bottom line is that despite any misgivings some may have had about Kidd’s preparedness to coach an NBA team straight from a playing career, we can probably stop looking for evidence that he’s overmatched,” Doolittle wrote. “Is he really the third-best coach in the NBA? That may be a stretch, but it doesn’t change the fact that all evidence from this season indicates that he’s doing a terrific job. And he’s still learning.”

In addition to receiving praise from writers and analysts, Jason has been lauded by his competitors—including some of the best coaches in the business:

“Jason Kidd has done a great job, and he has a good, young team,” said Kevin McHale, coach of the Houston Rockets. “They play very hard. They are long and they get their hands on the ball. They will run out for deflections and steals. You have to take care of the ball and move it.”

“I think he has gone a great job,” said Atlanta Hawks boss and NBA Coach of the Year Mike Budenholzer. “I think they have done a great job of maximizing their roster to their talent and they are one of the best defensive teams in the league. They make it hard for you to score and do different things. I think it is a real credit to him and his players of how well they have done and they are looking forward to growing and improving together.”

“I think Milwaukee has had a great season, so I give credit to Jason (Kidd) and the players on Milwaukee,” said Cleveland Cavaliers coach David Blatt. “That’s a great team with quick return. They push the ball well. They’re a great stealing team, too, which really holds us accountable for taking care of the basketball. They’ve defended teams well all year with their length and athleticism.”

“Jason has done a great job with them,” Golden State Warriors coach Steve Kerr said. “They’re excellent defensively and a good, young team on the rise. The biggest thing that stands out is how good they are defensively.”

“He is doing a great job, both years coaching,” said Dallas Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle. “They (the Bucks) are making a lot of progress with a young team. They play with a lot of energy and are in the top-10 in defense. Offensively, they are tough to deal with because they can all dribble, pass, shoot and drive it at you.

“He (Kidd) is a great competitor. When you talk about guys that were the most competitive guys in the history of the game, he is, in my opinion, in a small handful of guys like (Michael) Jordan and (Larry) Bird. He is one of those guys that had an internal fire to win, and he had an uncanny resourcefulness as a player.

“He is very smart. Let’s face it – he was always coaching anyway when he was out there. I felt like he had a very good idea, coming off his playing career as to how he felt the game should be played, and he’s coaching it the way he feels it should be played. You have to give him a lot of credit for that.”

“He is not somebody that thinks about losing,” said San Antonio Spurs coach Gregg Popovich, a three-time Coach of the Year and five-time NBA champion. “He is a competitor at the highest (level). He is knowledgeable and knows what it takes, and is comfortable in his own skin. He is going to be fair, but he is going to demand any kind of battle as far as doing it the right way, and will win the battle.

“I think that a young team is probably a great situation in that regard, because they are in need of knowledge and learning and how it all comes together. He is a guy that knows how that works. I think it is a good marriage, when you start that young group out to be aggressive and really make defense a priority the way they have.”

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