Could Jason Kidd already be on the Hot Seat in Brooklyn?

BROOKLYN- Seems absurd, right? How could a guy, who’s never coached a minute in the NBA, be on the hot seat? Simple: Expectations.

This off-season, Nets owner Mikhail Prokhorov, and GM Billy King, went out and added a couple guys with solid résumé’s, in Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, Andrei Kirilenko, and Jason Terry, almost immediately cementing Brooklyn into title contention.

Kidd, hired on June 12th, is now in charge of coaching 15 guys he played against about five minutes ago. Coaching in the National Basketball Association is tough (see 2012-2013 Coach of the Year, George Karl’s, firing.) With expectations sky-high expectations, and even higher pressure on Kidd, is his new throne on the sideline already getting warm?

Now-Nets forward, Paul Pierce, guarded by his now-coach, Jason Kidd.

When your starting lineup itself has combined for Thirty-five All-Star appearances, it is safe to assume that people will be looking for exceptional results.

Kidd with his best friend, and now player, 3-time All-Star, Deron Williams.

Brooklyn’s roster, on paper, sure looks like they can, and will, compete. A mix of veterans, stars, champions, and an elite bench mob, gives Jason Kidd options, and room to work.

Jason Kidd’s Hall-of-Fame worthy career, and exceptional skills as a distributor, and leader, sure lead us to believe he has a coaching makeup, from the ins-and-outs side of the game, but, in his first year, with a team that is competing for the now, can he handle all of the obstacles a new head coach faces in a short amount of time?

Brooklyn owner, Mikhail Prokhorov.

Mikhail Prokhorov has money out the wazoo, but, he’s still spent a boatload of it on his team, and he wants results. With a 2013-2014 payroll of over $80 million, Kidd has been handed with the elite of the elite, talent wise- talent to compete with the likes of Miami, Indiana, and Chicago.

The Nets are expected to be really good this season, but, if they get off to a rocky start, much like we saw this past season, Billy King and the rest of Brooklyn’s brass may be quick to make a coaching change, like they did with Avery Johnson.

The first year of coaching in the NBA isn’t always the easiest. Just ask Gregg Popovich, who’s first rodeo resulted in a 17-47 campaign for the Spurs.

A frustrated Gregg Popovich.

Obstacles Kidd will face, not including expectations, and the New York media, include some of the following:

• He now will be creating the game plans, not just studying them.
• He’ll need to convince his players, who he played with and against just a few months ago, that he is no longer their teammate, but their superior.
• Kidd has been known as a locker room leader in the past, and now, he IS the locker room’s leader.
• Egos. As mentioned earlier, he’s coaching stars, and big names.
• And lastly, resisting the urge to suit himself up. Kidd is a basketball nut, and you can tell from his 19-year NBA career that he never had the desire to hang it up.

Jason Kidd with some of the newest members of the Nets, Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, and Jason Terry.

Kidd surely has the knowledge, and apparent skill, to coach in the league, but, can he prove it to the hierarchy in Brooklyn, and quickly? Because, remember, Brooklyn does not put up with failure. Avery Johnson was canned not 25 days after being named Coach of the Month.

It will be intriguing to watch the 2013-14 Nets, and track Jason Kidd’s success (or failure) as a first-year NBA head coach.

This article was written by Brandon Benson. You can find, follow, and interact with him on Twitter- @TheBTrain10.

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