Jeff Van Gundy on Jason Kidd becoming #Nets coach

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Updated: June 11, 2013

Jeff Van Gundy went on ESPN NY 98.7 with Michael Kay just a few minutes ago and of course he was asked about the recent rumors that Jason Kidd could ultimately become the Brooklyn Nets head coach.

He had a few interesting comments that can be read multiple ways as he mentioned he is partial to guys who have lived the coaching life.

Van Gundy was very careful about what he said but at one point he made it seem like it was a publicity stunt.[quote_simple] Jeff Van Gundy interview with 98.7 ESPN NY

MK – Do you think it is a good idea to hire a guy with zero experience?

JVG – “I’m partial to coaches who have lived it and grown up with it, but to say its the only way to do it is not true.  Larry Bird did it exceptionally well with Indiana.  Pat Riley did very well with the Lakers.  So there’s many ways to be a coach and to be a successful coach but you know where it starts, it starts with the players.  New Jersey was very well coached last year and so they aren’t going to be better coached this year but the roster may change.

He continued, “To me I don’t necessarily see this as a Billy King move, I am sure he agrees with it if that is the way they go, but I also think they are looking for Jason Kidd holding the Eastern Conference trophysomething that wins the press conference.  Certainly they will win the press conference, whether that leads them to winning more games we will have to wait and see but this is a much different thing and I just hope he knows what he is getting into.

It’s a much different life even though you share the same planes, the same locker rooms, you don’t share the same life at all as the players.  It’s taxing.  Physically, mentally and emotionally if you’re doing it right and I hope that if they do decide to go that way that he enjoys himself and meets with a lot of great success, but there will be challenges.

This idea that a smart player leaps to a great coach, I think those are some myths that just aren’t necessarily true and I think a lot of it depends on how invested that player is in the process of learning to be a coach.

Pat Riley to me was very vested in learning  and wanted desperately to be a great coach and then had the players who were so great that they helped him through the learning curve that everyone will go through when they take over  in a new job.”

MK – Mark Jackson did so well, maybe people want to have the next Mark Jackson?

JVG – “Mark Jackson’s first year I think there was a learning curve and they had five roster additions this year so his roster was marketably better than the one  during his first year plus it wasn’t a lock-out year. I don’t equate him to Mark because they are two different personalities.  I’m interested to see how it works.

Kidd’s greatness as a player cannot be denied, nor his impact  on the Nets because they were a laughingstock of a franchise before him.  But he has had some issue off the court , he is going to have to make sure he gets a really good staff around him that has his best interests at heart.

Then hopefully Brooklyn will give him a chance to grow into the job because to expect him to be as good as some other coaches have been that have been working their whole life in this profession and I think it would be asking a bit too much.  So I’m fascinated to watch how it plays out.”[/quote_simple]

 

 

 

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