Philadelphia 76ers: 6 head coach candidates to keep an eye on
Sixers head coaching candidates: Jason Kidd
Like Cassell and Jackson, Jason Kidd was a former point guard that turned into a coach. However, he’s unlike the previous former point guards on this list. He was a far more successful point guard but wasn’t a very successful head coach in his previous stops.
Kidd will be remembered as a top-5 point guard of all time. He’s already in the Hall of Fame and his playing resume is beyond impressive. His career average is 12.6 points, 6.3 rebounds, 8.7 assists, and 1.9 steals. He’s second in All-Time career assists and eighth in All-Time assists average.
He’s also made 10 All-Star games, was named Rookie of the Year, made nine All-Defensive teams, and six All-NBA teams. He claimed a championship with the Dallas Mavericks late in his career as the starting point guard. Despite being an accomplished player, it didn’t turn into major success as a head coach.
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He had two head coaching gigs since he retired as a player. He first was in charge of the Brooklyn Nets which ended badly after just one season and a playoff appearance. He was then with the Bucks where he didn’t see too much success in terms of wins or in terms of playoff appearances. He had a 47.8 percent win percentage in Milwaukee and made the playoffs twice in four seasons.
His success in Milwaukee comes in terms of player development, especially when it comes to Giannis Antetokounmpo. He molded a very raw young player in the Antetokounmpo into the superstar he is today.
Considering that Simmons and Antetokounmpo are similar players, one would imagine that Kidd would help Simmons develop his already impressive game. That itself makes him an interesting coaching candidate. It would be interesting to see if the Philadelphia 76ers could lure him away from his gig as an assistant coach for the Los Angeles Lakers.