Jason Kidd Talks KG, Pierce, and JET

With the Kevin Garnett/Paul Pierce to Brooklyn trade official, Nets head coach Jason Kidd weighed in on his newly acquired Hall of Famers.

Feelings on the trade:

“I think we’re all excited. I think we were all waiting for this day. When you look at management, the pieces they brought in, they’re sending a message that they want to win now. We’re up to that challenge."

On how much his relationship with KG made The Big Ticket waive his no-trade clause:

"He’s a man of few words, but when he does say something, everyone listens. My pitch was to have an opportunity to win a championship again, and being able to not just win a championship but teach these guys what it takes to win. (Brook) Lopez, (Andray) Blatche, (Deron Williams), Joe Johnson – being able to show them what it takes to win.”

Expectations for Jason Terry:

“JET has done it all. He’s started, he’s played the point, he’s played the two, he’s won Sixth Man of the Year. Again, the guys that we brought in have that work ethic. They all understand what it takes to win and they’re going to share it with their teammates. This should be an exciting time. A lot of times late in your career you don’t have an opportunity to win a championship, and we do. Hopefully everybody comes ready come opening day for training camp.”

Will it be awkward coaching veterans he's played against (and with)?

“No. For JET, no, I think because that was kind of my role when I was in Dallas, being able to communicate with those guys on that end of the floor. Paul, when I talked to Paul he was exciting for me because he felt this was something that the league needed, to get some new blood in as coaches. I don’t think it’s going to be any awkwardness, I think it’s going to be a great combination of them being able to help me and me being able to help them. That’s what a family’s all about and that’s what we are.”

Garnett's impact on defense:

“He’s a smart player on both ends. Defensively he definitely helps, because he’s seen it all. He can help with the defensive schemes. He’s a competitor. No matter how old or how young he is, he’s going to be out there to compete, so he helps on both ends.”

How the trade shapes the Nets-Knicks rivalry:

“I think it’s a great rivalry for the city. When you talk about New York and basketball, everybody loves it. I think it’s great for the rivalry – it was a tie last year, so somehow the tie hopefully will be broken and hopefully we can have the edge.”

How does the trade affect Deron Williams?

“For Deron, to execute the game plan but keep the game simple. When you loko at the guys we’ve talked about, Blatche, there’s a lot of guys that can score the ball. When you put guys like this together there’s a tendency to take a step back. Deron needs to be Deron. He needs to … be aggressive, set the table for guys but also look for his shot. I expect Deron to have a great season in that aspect and be more of a leader out there.”

Focus on the Heat:

“They’re the blueprint. They’re the champs. They’ve won it twice, they could have won it three times in a row. When they put that team together to try to win championships, and they’ve had a lot of success. If you want to compete with them you have to have horses, and I think we have that.”


Jason Kidd is clearly drooling at the thought of this new Nets lineup, which has gone from a lottery team to a first-round failure to a true contender in a mere year. What do you think about Kidd coaching the Nets, and how well will Brooklyn play next season? Sound off in the comments below.


Follow Jacob on Twitter @TheReelJZ