USA Today via Reuters
referee James Capers (19) talks with Los Angeles Lakers assistant coach Jason Kidd (top) and head coach Frank Vogel (bottom) as forward LeBron James (23) reacts after a play against the Miami Heat as during the first quarter in game six of the 2020 NBA Finals at AdventHealth Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
USA Today via Reuters
referee James Capers (19) talks with Los Angeles Lakers assistant coach Jason Kidd (top) and head coach Frank Vogel (bottom) as forward LeBron James (23) reacts after a play against the Miami Heat as during the first quarter in game six of the 2020 NBA Finals at AdventHealth Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
After the Los Angeles Lakers clinched the 2020 NBA Finals, everyone received a lot of praise from the league. However, there was one person who didn’t get much appreciation for his role in the championship run – Jason Kidd.
Jason Kidd joined the staff of head coach Frank Vogel as an assistant coach. Everyone knows how great a player Kidd was, and he was doing well as a head coach too. But after being sacked by the Bucks in 2018, Kidd found a home with the Lakers this season.
NBA Hall of Famer Isiah Thomas praised Kidd for his contribution in a recent interview with Scoop B. He said:
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“When you talk about observation and participation. Jason Kidd’s gift from a participatory standpoint in terms of him understanding offenses and defenses because he’s had to dissect it, play against it and then was successful in understanding what he was seeing. So there isn’t a defense that hasn’t been invented that Jason Kidd hasn’t played against and beat; so he will know where the weak spots are in every defense that he faces that he coaches against and he can tell his players, ‘This is what you look for and this is where the openings are going to be.”
Lakers assistant Jason Kidd & his basketball IQ makes him a great coach says Isiah Thomas: https://t.co/Lfqqr5tvG1
"Understanding offenses and defenses because he’s had to dissect it, play against it and then was successful in understanding what he was seeing." pic.twitter.com/XJfxIlkgsr
— 👑📍Brandon ‘Scoop B’ Robinson, M.A. (@ScoopB) October 31, 2020
Like Isiah mentioned, Kidd has vast experience under his belt from his playing days. Thus, he has the ability to make excellent strategies against opponents. The Lakers should be glad that they have such a bright mind helping out Frank Vogel lead the team.
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What’s next for the Los Angeles Lakers?
USA Today via Reuters
Oct 11, 2020; Lake Buena Vista, Florida, USA; The Los Angeles Lakers hold up the Finals trophy after game six of the 2020 NBA Finals at AdventHealth Arena. The Los Angeles Lakers won 106-93 to win the series. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
The next season is pretty crucial for the purple and gold. Not only do they have the chance to repeat their performance, but LeBron James and Anthony Davis can also improve their legacies. If the Lakers lift the championship next year, it will establish them as a truly dominant force in the league.
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After winning this year’s championship in the Bubble, many people want an asterisk in front of it. However, winning this title should hold more weight. Focusing on a championship run while being isolated from the world brings its own pressure.
Not everyone can play at their best in these conditions, yet the Lakers achieved that task. Winning the next title would do wonders for the purple and gold by suppressing those narratives that doubt them.
