Jason Kidd is perfect coach to clean up Steve Kerr's disaster for Team USA

The U.S. men's national basketball team continued to assert its dominance in international competition, defeating France in the final of the basketball tournament at the Olympics to secure a fifth consecutive gold medal.

Helmed by Steve Kerr, Team USA had to withstand tough challenges from its opponents in the last two rounds to come out on top. The Golden State Warriors coach was also subject to plenty of criticism because of his rotation decisions, including benching Dallas Mavericks' 2024 NBA Finals nemesis Jayson Tatum.

It remains to be seen if Kerr will continue coaching the national squad, although rumors suggest he is prepared to step down (subscription required) after this year, and he may not be the best coach for the job. His rotations were questionable, and regardless of whether they won the gold medal or not, some change may be best for Team USA.

Jason Kidd deserves consideration to coach Team USA

Erik Spoelstra of the Miami Heat and Tyronn Lue of the Los Angeles Clippers are among the coaches who could succeed the former Coach of the Year. Both served on Kerr's Team USA coaching staff.

But Mavs head coach Jason Kidd should definitely be in the running for the opportunity to man the sidelines of the Red, White, and Blue in the next four-year cycle.

Of course, Spoelstra and Lue would be deserving candidates, especially because they are highly revered in NBA circles and are two of the top coaches in the league at the moment. However, the same can be said about Kidd, who is fresh off surprising many folks in leading Dallas to the 2024 NBA Finals.

There are various reasons the retired point guard could be USA Basketball's best bet to bag the gold medal in the Los Angeles Games in 2028.

His success in getting Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving to work well together despite initial misgivings about the pairing has not only earned him the full trust of Mavs fans but also transformed Dallas into a legitimate contender. It wouldn't be a surprise to see Kidd accomplish the same feat if given the opportunity to lead a superstar-laden Team USA squad.

The Basketball Hall of Famer also showed his marked progress in bringing out the best in his big men. Dereck Lively II has emerged as one of the best players of his draft class, and the youngster's improved leadership under Kidd's tutelage has been evident this summer. Meanwhile, the coach's work with Daniel Gafford helped turn the Mavs' defense from awful to elite.

There have been concerns about Team USA's prospects of fielding elite big men in 2028. Anthony Davis will have turned 35 by then, and Joel Embiid, while one year younger than Davis, teased that he could represent Cameroon in the next Olympics. Of course, Bam Adebayo will still be in his prime.

Still, the depth at center wouldn't probably be the same. Having Kidd around could be the solution to that potential problem.

It's also worth noting that among the candidates mentioned, the 10-time NBA All-Star is probably the only one who has suited up for the national team. He played in the 2000 Olympics, where he was one of the Americans' three captains, and brought veteran leadership to the Redeem Team in 2008.

So, based on expertise and experience, "J-Kidd" should certainly get heavy consideration as the next Team USA coach if the rumors about Kerr end up being true. An argument can be made that Kerr mismanaged this summer's roster, and Kidd should be in the running to help bring another gold medal to Team USA.

Kerr helped bring USA the gold medal, but it's time for a change. His coaching was heavily criticized from the outside looking in, and Kidd may just be the perfect guy for the job.