Milwaukee Bucks Roundtable: Reacting to Jason Kidd’s firing, what’s next

Did you agree that Jason Kidd’s time was finally up or do you think there could be any justification for keeping him on longer than the Bucks have ultimately decided to?

Ben Sewell (@pencil2292): There was no clear justification for keeping J-Kidd around the organization any longer. Quite frankly he had run his race and 99 percent of the franchise were happy to see him go. When #FireKidd begins to trend around the internet and fans start to boo their coach at home games, it’s time to look at what’s happening and thankfully in this instance, ownership and Horst made the right call.

Ryan Riley (@rynrly): As Jon Horst alluded to in his press conference, this move was “inevitable.” The Bucks have been punching below their weight this season, and most believed that was not going to improve under Jason Kidd. There are some out there who believe in continuity, but it was well past time. I’m surprised they actually did make the move mid-season, however.

Matthew Henriksen (@matthenriksen): Agree! This team was a winning streak away from being on track to meet their goals, and I could have given Kidd more time to achieve that.

However, before his exit he went on the record with the intent of lowering expectations, and viewed his team’s age as the reason they will continue to “win two, lose two.” That’s a toxic mindset that the organization can’t tolerate.

Curtis Calnin – I agree with what Ben, Ryan, and Matt have said and can’t argue that it was probably time for a new coaching philosophy. My concern with the decision is the player reaction. Giannis’ relationship with Kidd, not to mention his supposed willingness to step in and defend Kidd to ownership, reported by ESPN, is the main concern. It seems Giannis had grown quite fond of Kidd, and if this move in any way alienates Giannis, I don’t know how it can be viewed as a positive.

Furthermore, Eric Bledsoe was quoted as saying “I thought he did a great job, but it’s a business. You can’t control it.” While Khris Middleton said, “It’s tough for me. He took my game to another level. He took this team to a whole other level. Today was a tough day.” With three of the franchise’s four most important players defending Kidd, there has to be at least some concern that there may be some player pushback.

Granted, ESPN’s Ryen Russillo reported that Jabari Parker and Kidd were no longer on speaking terms, so it’s possible this isn’t a concern at all, but I definitely think it’s something worth paying attention to, and makes the hiring of Kidd’s replacement that much more important.

Ti Windisch (@TiWindisch): Truthfully, I felt that Kidd was allowed to stick around too long. His close relationship with Giannis Antetokounmpo made things difficult, but he was clearly a net negative on the Bucks, from the obviously-ineffective defensive scheme to the head-scratching rotations. It makes sense to rip the band-aid off quickly and just get it over with — why wait any longer to make the team better?

Rohan Katti (@rkattijr): I would have to agree with Ti that Jason Kidd’s tenure seemed to last longer than it should have. The position that GM John Horst and the ownership group were in is not enviable, but ultimately they came to a decision that would ensure that the franchise is moving in a positive direction.

Retaining Kidd’s services any longer could have ended up in disaster, as the Bucks are still not guaranteed a playoff spot despite their personnel improvement from last season.

Jacob Ahlmann (@Jacob_Ahlmann): I think the timing was about as good as it could have been considering the circumstances. Not only was this Milwaukee team not meeting expectations — expectations only the coach thought were too high — but it was becoming more apparent leadership qualities that are needed in a head coach were not there with Kidd.

Bob Polglaze (@BobPolglaze): Although the firing seemed to catch everyone by surprise, it was the correct decision to move on. Kidd had honestly been here longer than he should have, and the team was trending in the wrong direction with potentially embarrassing results.

The move also puts the team (and Joe Prunty) in the best possible situation for a mid-season firing, as an upcoming weaker stretch in the schedule will give them a chance to stack some wins against lesser opponents and gain some confidence heading into the All-Star Break.

Although this team has earned their reputation for playing down to their opponents, the hope should be that a new voice will give them some much-needed energy.

Peter Polewski: Lets be clear, Jason Kidd brought recognition to a franchise in desperate need of it. Milwaukee needed a shiny lure to attract impactful free agents in the league. Yet this was not always accompanied by players who were a good fit — Michael Carter-Williams comes to mind.

In the end, the Milwaukee Bucks today are in a much different position than they were when Kidd arrived. Expectations are higher, the caliber of roster has matured, and a new arena is close to completion. It is debatable that the improved NBA perception of the Bucks franchise is due to Kidd. Point Giannis transformed the league and Kidd had a crucial role in that.

What, in my humble opinion, is not debatable, is that Kidd was not the right coach for the organization at the moment. Too many years we have been battling for eighth seed in the East with much less talent. Something had to change.

Jordan Treske (@JordanTreske): Like many have said, the timing of the move was genuinely shocking, but the reasoning and justification behind the decision had made it an overdue and inevitable one, as GM Jon Horst publicly said after the decision on Monday evening. Kidd’s presence within the organization had made it impossible for the team to move forward in the way they have desired to and it was beyond clear that Kidd was both not the person to lead the charge any longer and had showed no indications of shedding his stubborn, headstrong ways.

Adam McGee (@AdamMcGee11): It was long overdue, but having waited so long for it to happen, the timing mid-season and not even waiting for the All-Star break was surprising.

More than results on the court, Kidd’s comments in press conferences over the last month were attempts at self-preservation, and a continuation of his refusal to accept any responsibility for even the smallest of his team’s weaknesses over a three-and-a-half year period.

With that in mind, Kidd was not only trying to realign expectations, but was also aiming to set something of a precedent. Since arriving in Milwaukee, ownership has spent much of their time stressing the need for a winning culture, and Kidd was in the process of building a culture that could have been damaging to the team long after his departure.

Couple that with the underachieving that’s been evident on the floor, and the move was a no-brainer.