Dallas Mavericks: Will Jason Kidd leave everyone but Luka Doncic in the dark?
By Tyler Watts
Dallas Mavericks coach Jason Kidd helped develop more than Giannis
Giannis Antetokounmpo was far from the only player that developed significantly under Jason Kidd. The Bucks have 15 wins the year before the Hall of Fame point guard arrived and just two playoff appearances since 2007. Milwaukee won 41 games in Kidd’s first season and made the playoffs. The team has missed the postseason just once since he arrived in 2014.
Khris Middleton went from role player to second star under J-Kidd. He averaged 18.2 points per game as a 24-year-old in 2016 and quickly became one of the best two-way players in the league. It was a massive and unexpected leap from the 2012 second-round draft pick.
The Bucks drafted Jabari Parker second overall in 2014, and he was a rookie in Kidd’s first season in Milwaukee. Parker averaged over 20 points per game in the Hall of Fame point guard’s final full season in charge. Parker struggled with injuries in his career but had three of his best seasons playing under Kidd.
The Bucks drafted Malcolm Brogdon in the second round in 2016, and he immediately came in and won Rookie of the Year under Jason Kidd. He took another step forward in his second season as J-Kidd was fired after 45 games.
Kidd did not just develop star talents. He helped Middleton and Brogdon transform from second-round picks into All-Star caliber players. Giannis went from a talented project to one of the best players in the league under J-Kidd’s watch. The Hall of Famer has a knack for developing players.