IZTOK ON KIDD'S DEFENSIVE SYSTEM AND THE ROSTER

[mavsluvr]

The key to winning in my view, is to design the system that fits your players. Not to design a system  that you know and finding players to suit that. For this the key as a coach to know many different systems and schemes, and find the one best suited for your players, against that your opponent you are playing.

My view of Kidd so far is that he is trying some new schemes he knows well. Some of that tends to work, but a lot of times not. I dont have yet that impression that he knows how to adapt the scheme to play against the particular opponent and adjust. Also he is trying a lot of things, but I dont have impression he is learning from that what is working and not and that he will be able to replicate the good things. But I hope i'm wrong.

I tend to agree with this. 


This wouldn't be the first time that Kidd has tried a super-aggressive defensive scheme that turned out to be a disaster. 

A similar effort with the Bucks did indeed force turnovers and extra passes, but also resulted in a foul machine, a layup line for opposing offenses, and one of the worst corner-three defenses in the league. And that was with a roster containing multiple GOOD defenders. 

There's a reason you don't see this type of scheme used much in today's NBA, despite its theoretical appeal. It relies heavily on a high degree of athleticism, stamina, and collective defensive IQ from all five players on the court, which is not an easy thing to put together. And even when it works on occasion, it's not very sustainable. 

When Kidd was fired, and the Bucks went to a more conventional system emphasizing switching, staying at home, and dropping in the PNR, they immediately became  a much more effective team.

Granting that the defense needed improvement, I'm not sure why they had to jump to this extremely aggressive scheme that the players admittedly aren't suited to execute and which may not be workable even in the best case. Surely, there was some scheme around that the players could actually perform effectively. 

Kidd's failed defense in Milwaukee has been the subject of numerous analyses. If anyone is interested, here is one --

https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/the...t-is-over/