‘As a competitor, you have one goal, and that’s to try to win a championship.’ — New Nets coach Jason Kidd
GETTING HIS FEET WET: Jason Kidd, speaking to his team in his first official Nets practice, will get some coaching experience in the Orlando summer league next week. (Anthony J. Causi)
Jason Kidd isn’t able to talk about specific moves the Nets have made so far this offseason, including the blockbuster trade with the Celtics and re-signing Andray Blatche, until they become official next week.
But running his first practice as head coach yesterday, Kidd didn’t shy away from the sky-high expectations after the Nets added Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce to an already talented and experienced core group.
“They were always high,” Kidd said when asked if the expectations for this team have changed. “As a competitor, you have one goal, and that’s to try to win a championship.”
Kidd spent two hours working with the summer league team the Nets will take to Orlando, where play begins Sunday.
It might have been nothing more than a nondescript summer league practice for everyone else involved, but Kidd couldn’t help but be nervous about presiding over his first official practice.
“I had nerves when I was a player in every game,” he said. “Someone told me if you don’t get nervous, you don’t care. So yeah, I was nervous, because I care and want to do the right thing and put guys in position to be successful offensively and defensively.
“It was a great practice. I think everybody’s excited to get out on the court, the coaches and players. We have to start somewhere, but we have a long ways to go.”
It’s rare for a coach to run his summer league team, instead often delegating responsibility to one of his assistants. But since taking the job, Kidd has been open about relishing the chance to get a few games worth of coaching experience under his belt. He will command a roster headlined by second-year players Tyshawn Taylor and Tornike Shengelia and rookie Mason Plumlee.
“I’m observant right now,” Kidd said. “Someone brought up that it could be a summer-school type of situation where I’m learning from [my staff], so right now it’s observing and getting input and getting comfortable with the coaching aspect of it.”
Kidd, who said he has yet to speak with owner Mikhail Prokhorov since taking the job, spent the first two weeks after being hired pushing for former Nets coach Lawrence Frank to reunite with him as his top lieutenant. Kidd said he is looking forward to learning plenty from Frank, who reportedly has a four-year contract paying him more than $1 million a season, making him the highest paid assistant in the NBA, according to ESPN New York.
“Coach Frank did a lot of the organization and setting us up and running a lot of the drills with us,” Taylor said. “[Kidd] kind of sat back and was watching and kind of throwing his points in there when he could, like a point guard would. So he’s still in that point guard role, I think … but like I said, he’s a natural leader, so it’s easy for him to do this.”
The fact Kidd will have played against virtually every player on the roster only adds to the uniqueness of the situation the Nets find themselves in heading into their second season in Brooklyn. Taylor admitted it still is a bit hard to believe Kidd — who hit a 3-pointer that gave the Knicks a last-second 100-97 win in Brooklyn on Dec. 11 — is now his coach.
“I was talking bad about him last year when hit that 3 on us and put his foot out and everything, and now he’s my coach,” Taylor said with a smile.
“But it’s cool, man. It’s a different situation that a lot of guys probably aren’t used to. But like I said, he’s natural leader, so he’s comfortable in his role and he makes guys feel comfortable around him.”