:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/63290707/665478712.jpg.0.jpg)
With 10 games left in the regular season, the Los Angeles Lakers have yet to reach their win total from last season despite adding LeBron James last summer. It’s for that reason, among others, that the wide belief around the league is that head coach Luke Walton will be let go at the end of the season.
If Walton is indeed let go, they already have a few names in mind, including former Milwaukee Bucks head coach and Basketball Hall of Famer Jason Kidd. Here’s the latest report from Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN:
Kidd will be among the serious candidates for the Lakers coaching job if Luke Walton is dismissed, league sources tell ESPN. That’s expected to give Kidd some pause on pursuing the Cal opening now. https://t.co/mm1SHCcVNJ
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) March 24, 2019
The logic behind the Lakers’ rumored interest in Kidd isn’t that hard to follow.
During his 19-year NBA career, Kidd established himself as one of the brightest basketball minds the league has ever seen. He led the league in assists four times and won a championship with the Dallas Mavericks in 2011.
Kidd would also be a natural mentor to Lonzo Ball, who has long been compared to Kidd for his elite court vision and struggles with shooting the ball. More importantly, Kidd formed a close bond with James when they represented the United States at the Olympics in 2008, so James would likely be on board with the hire.
However, just because the logic is easy to follow doesn’t mean that it’s the right thinking.
In the four years he served as a head coach, Kidd posted a losing record of 183-190. His most successful season came in 2014, when he led the Brooklyn Nets to a 44-38 record. and an Eastern Conference Semifinals appearance. The following summer, he was let go.
His latest coaching stint with the Milwaukee Bucks was just as underwhelming, considering he failed to win a single playoff series with Giannis Antetokounmpo at his disposal. A year since Kidd’s removal from Milwaukee, the Bucks hold the best record in the NBA.
While Kidd would certainly be a big name hire for the Lakers, his resume as a head coach doesn’t live up to his name. Hopefully more qualified and successful candidates become available as the Lakers search for their next head coach.
For more Lakers talk, subscribe to the Silver Screen and Roll podcast feed on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher or Google Podcasts. You can follow Christian on Twitter at @RadRivas.