(Translator's note: The author of this article is David Aldridge, and the content in this article does not represent the views of the translator and the platform.) ）
I want to talk to Kidd about the taras Mavericks' huge improvements on the defensive end this season. In his first year at the helm, the Lone Rangers are on the verge of another 50-win season, and they are currently in Fourth place in the West. After entering 2022, the Lone Ranger's defense is close behind the Celtics and ranks 2nd in the league. The Lone Ranger ranks No. 1 in limiting their opponents' three-point shooting percentage and number of hits; ranks No. 2 in defensive efficiency; and gives opponents 7th fewest free throws. According to data analysis site FiveThirtyEight's RAPTOR high-order defensive model, the Lone Ranger only Has maxie Kleber's defensive plus-minus can rank more than 90 in the league.
RAPTOR, Robust Algorithm (using) Player Tracking (and) On/Off Ratings, a generic algorithm that uses player tracking data and differences between up and down. Details can be found on the following website :)
Kidd and his coaching staff have created a kind of associated defensive unit this season, based on the foundation that former head coach Rick Carlisle built during his 13 seasons with the Lone Rangers. This is Kidd's third time as head coach, and his coaching style looks different. The first time was in the Nets, a turbulent 1 year; the second time was in the Bucks, more than 3 years, cultivating a young alphabet brother. The 49-year-old manager now looks very calm, which was not available early in his coaching career. Of course, sometimes he gets along with the team, which is part of his job, but lately, Kidd has been a bit picky.
Kidd and the team's new general manager, Nick Harrison, formed an eclectic coaching staff. They brought in former Suns coach Igor Kokoshkov from fenerbahce in the Turkish Premier League, and Kidd brought Greg San Jean from the Lakers. Kidd was an assistant coach under Lakers coach Vogel for 2 years, and they won the NBA championship in the rematch park in 2020.
Sean Sweeney, who was An assistant coach for Casey at the Pistons last season, was Kidd's Uda on the defensive end during Kidd's tenure as Bucks coach. The coaching staff gave Sweeney a nickname, "Little Thibodeau", which is really worthy of the name. Over the past few seasons, Christie Tolliver has played in the WNBA while working on the NBA bench. Jared Dudley ended his NBA career with the Lakers before following Kidd to the Lone Rangers as an assistant coach. Kidd and Harrison also left former head coach Darrell Armstrong on The Carlisle's coaching staff, Gaud Sam Goude (who chose to stay with the Lone Ranger instead of following Mosley, who is now head coach of the Orlando Magic) and Pitt Parton. It's an interesting combination of different coaching styles, experiences and strengths.
The Lone Ranger lost to the bottom-ranked Wizards on April 2, giving their opponents 135 points, and Kidd was sent off by the referee Tony Brothers for two consecutive technical fouls in the third quarter.
Laxity on the defensive end comes with consequences. Of course, there's a reason for it, and when you get serious, they disappear, which is the wonder of the basketball gods.
On April 4, the Mavericks regained their former quality defense in the big game of the away win over the Bucks.
In an interview with The Athletic this week, Kidd talked about how he cohesively cohesive the coaching staff, how new players are integrated into the team at trade deadlines, and how different they've used Doncic defensively this season, among other themes.
Reporter: How did the coaching staff come together?
Kidd: When it comes to Sweeney and Sam Gaud, I've worked with these guys before... I knew my coaching staff had to have Sweeney, there was no room for negotiation.
Yes, he is a must. It was great to be able to dig him out of the piston. Greg St. Jean and I worked with the Lakers for 2 years. Speaking of Igor, when I talked to him in the summer, I knew that he and Doncic had a strong connection, and they had worked together before. He's been coaching for a long time. In 1999, he served as NCAA men's basketball coach in Missouri. He was the first European to hold the position and later moved between teams. Getting him was a huge bonus for us.
One of the most important things I learned from Vogel is that Vogel's coaching staff is also diverse. He worked with us, we had a great time together and we won a championship together. You don't have to get to know someone, but you can get to know someone. We got Dudley a little late and I thought he was still playing, but when things took a turn for the better and I asked him what he was going to do next, he said, "I want to be a coach." "I think coaching is a different direction for him. We have retired players on our coaching staff as well as active players, and Christie Tolliver is still playing. Everyone was happy with her arrival and I think having her in our coaching staff was another huge bonus. Then, Gaud-Sam Goudad and Darrell Armstrong were already here, and we just left them. Pitt was the shooting coach on the roster, but we all called him just coach.
Reporter: There are so many people in the coaching staff, how do you allocate work and time?
Kidd: We're trying to build a system. Everybody is in one subsystem, we have three subsystems, so it's not one coach or two coaches at work, everybody has something to do, they all have their own roles, just like the players, which is an important point. We're not one person just attacking and the other one just defending. Everyone has their own focus, they have the ability to come up with a game plan, and that's where our system starts. When you look at the system, when you put the game on the agenda, the first thing is Igor. He studied wizards, so he came up with a game plan against the Wizards, showed us, and of course we might modify something. They would use the video to show the expected effect of the game plan so that Sean wouldn't have to do the work of all 82 games.
Reporter: How did the idea of letting Luca play low came about?
Kidd: We talked about a lot of tactics. Good teams play the playoffs and will defend oppressively against ball carriers. So, we tried to get Luca to attack from different places on the pitch. As you know, he said, "OK!". When he agreed, our work began there. He said, "Okay, it's okay, let's try it." "So, we're slowly developing different tactics in different situations.
You said all he had to do was "participate" in defense, and we all know his heavy responsibility on the offensive end, so what does his "engagement" defense mean to you?
Kidd: It's like he's involved on the offensive end. We didn't ask him to be a defensive finisher, but he was proud to be involved in defense. It's not about comparing him to Nowitzki, but he's trying to get involved in the defense. We're not going to defend one-on-one, we're a team, attacking and defending at both ends. He knew his teammates would be behind him. That's why we say "participate", because as long as you "participate", your teammates will be behind you.
Reporter: When it comes to the trade deadline, the team's enthusiasm declines, how will this affect the formation of your defensive habits throughout the season?
Kidd: A lot of times, players need a system, just like they need freedom. You have to form a system in case someone leaves. And we're a team with a defensive system. The team has two new players or one, and because of the impact of the epidemic, there may be 5-7 new players. However, if there is a system, everything is simple and does not even need to be transitioned. That's what we have.
Reporter: After the bucks, what evolution did you have?
Kidd: First of all, it's different. We used the Bucks as a stopover. A year before I went there as head coach, they had only 15 wins in the regular season. They are a team that has thoroughly rebuilt. So, you may have to work a little harder because the team has a lot of bad habits. So we started to change these bad habits. But the Lone Rangers had good habits, and the team's talent was probably better than the Bucks at the time. However, as far as the defensive end is concerned, the two are similar. So, you have to start defensively. Now our defense is second in the league. At that time in the Bucks, the league was mainly 2 points, how do you protect the interior? Now, you have to think about how to defend the three-pointer, so we made some adjustments. That's the thing about evolution. We have to solve the problem of style, method, and now times are different.
Reporter: Did you gain anything special during your time at the Lakers?
Kidd: Vogel's exchange with the players. He's very demanding on the defensive end, and that's the key to victory. When we're all talking about 3 points, know that defense takes place to win a championship. Focus more on defense. Also, Vogel is a great guy and a great coach. It's different now than before in many small ways. Now, I have a key, and that's the coaching staff. That's it. When I was in bucks, I had a lot of keys and tried to help everyone, but it ruined myself. Over the last few years, I've had the privilege of seeing a great coach, some great players, like AD, James, etc.
Reporter: Coaching this group of young people, what magic weapon do you have?
Kidd: Oh no! My job is to help. When I see Luca, Dinwiddie, Bronson, and other players, Kleber, Finney Smith, I say, "Finney Smith, I want you to hold the ball on the pitch, I want you to be a tandem attacker." You're not just a shooter who catches and shoots, you're more than just a 3D player. "This is basketball. Sometimes players get labeled, and when you can do more, it helps the team.
Originally written by David Aldridge
Compilation: Nanshan