04-11-2024, 10:34 AM
(04-10-2024, 10:13 PM)RoyTarpleysGhost Wrote: MacMahon] Mavs are 16-2 over an 18-game span for the first time since their championship season in 2011, per @ESPNStatsInfo. For all of the big numbers Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving are putting up, the most impressive stat is that Dallas has the league’s No. 1 defense during this run.
Can’t believe JKidd figured it out
In the FWIW column...
Wasn't Milwaukee's evolution into a strong defensive team initiated during Kidd's tenure? 2016-17 MKE was 16th defensively. 2017-18 18th, 2018-19 1st, 1019-20 1st.
Kidd was realeased MKE in January 2018, but you could argue he laid the foundation in personnel and culture that Budenholtz capitalized on to turn MKE into a defensive juggernaut.
Maybe this time he gets to reap the rewards in person instead of seeing a successor get the praise. Also, his time on the bench in LA helped him mature as a head coach. Getting Luka, Kyrie and others to buy in long enough to understand how key defense is to team success has been critical to getting the ball rolling. I think that mindset will be mostly self-sustaining moving forward.