The Milwaukee Bucks fired head coach Jason Kidd on Monday after three and a half seasons with the former NBA All-Star at the helm. Kidd was 139-152 as the shot caller in Milwaukee, but after years of substantial player development with no team success to show for it, the Bucks made the decision to cut ties.
Khris Middleton evolved from a 3-and-D specialist into a potent scorer, lockdown defender and excellent secondary playmaker under Kidd's guidance. And in just one and a half years in Kidd's system, second round Cinderella story Malcolm Brogdon won Rookie of the Year over the likes of Joel Embiid.
Both players flourished with Kidd running the show and both players had to face a new reality as they suited up for the first time in their Bucks career without their former head coach.
Fortunately for the Bucks, both players thrived in the absence of a familiar face calling the plays. Middleton scored 35 points while Brogdon dropped a career-high 32. It was a closer game than Milwaukee fans would’ve liked, but they outlasted the Phoenix Suns down the stretch and took home the dub 109-105 just hours after firing Kidd.
Though Milwaukee currently holds onto the eight seed in the East by the hair of their chins, that all could change very soon if they can’t find a wat shake the inconsistent play that has tarnished their performance on both sides of the ball. As if their lineup situation wasn't puzzling enough, minutes and shot distribution will become even more complicated once Jabari Parker makes his season debut sometime in February.
Before Parker went down with a torn ACL in the middle of the 2016-2017 campaign, the Bucks were hovering near .500 and Parker was averaging a career-high 20.1 points per game. With improved shooting mechanics, a refined scoring touch, and a semblance of defensive capability, it appeared Jabari had finally uncorked some of the immense potential he had shown when the Bucks took him second overall in the 2014 NBA Draft.
This season, Milwaukee is headed for an uncertain finish. Although they could definitely Parker's scoring to kickstart the league’s 19th ranked offense, we have no clue as to what kind of physical and psychological damage his second major knee injury in three seasons might have done to his ability to play.
Even if he was to come back the same explosive scorer he was before the catastrophic injury, his shots would come at the expense of other proven scorers. Every player might tell you they’d do anything necessary to help their team win, but most players draw the line when it means a cut to their minutes or touches. As much as I love Eric Bledsoe the player, after the drama surrounding his exit in Phoenix, I doubt he’d be too happy to learn his role on the team was shrinking.
I’m not trying to tell you the Bucks are doomed and that it’s time for a fire sale. They’re much too young and talented to blow up a team with so many promising pieces, but it might be time to think about making a few trades here and there. They already shipped off Greg Monroe in order to get more minutes for second-year center Thon Maker and they shouldn’t stop there.
We know Giannis Antetokounmpo is off limits. Why would you trade the Greek Freak when he’s neither a flight risk nor at his peak? However, the same cannot be said for Parker and Middleton. Parker could be lured away by another team for no return once his rookie contract comes to an end this offseason and while Middleton is no schmuck, I’m still not confident in Milwaukee's ability to build a team around him as their secondary option.
I have nothing against either player and I’m sure they’d make fine complementary scorers on a contending team looking for a second or third option. Having said that, I couldn’t name a single team that would be interested in or able to take on either player at the moment. While Milwaukee has been rumored to have a great interest in acquiring All-Star big man DeAndre Jordan, a deal seems unlikely as the Clippers’ selling price is probably much more than the Bucks are willing to offer.
Regardless if they make the playoffs, Milwaukee is out of title contention and has been since the season started. Although they’ll go home without the Larry O’Brien trophy, there’s one major task they must complete before they can begin to think about one-day hoisting that coveted prize above their heads.
Finding a worthy head coach should be at the top of their top priority this offseason, and if you ask me, David Fizdale would be a perfect fit. His 50-51 track record as a head coach may not instill much confidence in his abilities, but his basketball mind is much greater than his record shows. His players were rarely healthy and his Memphis teams were devoid of game-changing talents, but given the chance to coach an up and coming team like the Bucks, Fizdale could build a career, as well as a franchise in Milwaukee.
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