Malcolm Brogdon and Khris Middleton thrive in first game without Kidd
The Milwaukee Bucks fired head coach Jason Kidd on Monday after three and a half seasons with the former NBA All-Star at the helm. Kidd was 139-152 as the shot caller in Milwaukee, but after years of incredible individual player development with no team success to show for it, the Bucks decided it was time to cut ties.
Khris Middleton transformed himself from a 3-and-D specialist into a potent scorer, lockdown defender and excellent secondary playmaker in his three and a half seasons under head coach Jason Kidd. In just one and a half years under Kidd’s guidance, second round Cinderella story Malcolm Brogdon won Rookie of the Year. Both players flourished under Kidd’s system and both players had to face a new reality as they played without their now former head coach.
Fortunately for the Bucks, both players thrived in the absence of a familiar face calling the plays. Middleton scored 35 points while Brogdon dropped a career-high 32. It was a closer game than they would’ve liked, but Milwaukee beat the Phoenix Suns 109-105 just hours after firing Kidd.
Milwaukee currently holds onto the eight seed in the East by the hair on their chin, but all that could change very soon if they can’t shake the inconsistencies that tarnish their play on both sides of the ball. Not to complicate things for a team stuck in limbo, but if they haven’t noticed, once Jabari Parker makes his expected season debut in February, their predicament gets even more puzzling.
Before Parker went out with a torn ACL in the middle of the 2016-2017 campaign, the Bucks were 22-29 and he was averaging a career-high 20.1 points per game as an improved shooter, scorer, playmaker and defender. Today, Milwaukee is headed for an uncertain future, and although they could more than use his scoring to kickstart the league’s 19th ranked offense, we have no clue as to what kind of physical and psychological damage his second major knee injury in three seasons has done to his ability to play.
Even if he was to come back the same explosive scorer he was before the catastrophic injury, his shots would come at the expense of other proven scorers. Every player will tell you they’d do anything necessary to help their team win until it means a cut in their minutes or touches. As much as I love Eric Bledsoe the player, after the drama surrounding his exit in Phoenix, I doubt he’d be too happy to learn his role on the team is diminishing.
I’m not trying to tell you the Bucks are doomed and that it’s time for a fire sale. They’re much too young and talented to blow up a team with so many promising pieces, but it might be time to think about making a few trades here and there. They already shipped off Greg Monroe in order to get more minutes for second year center Thon Maker and they shouldn’t stop there.
We know Giannis Antetokounmpo is off limits. Why would you trade the Greek Freak when he’s neither a flight risk nor at his peak? However, the same cannot be said for Parker and Middleton. Parker could be lured away by another team for no return once his rookie contract comes to an end during the 2018 offseason and while Middleton is no schmuck, I’m still not confident in management’s ability to build a team around him as their secondary option.
I have nothing against either player and I’m sure they’d make fine complementary scorers on a contending team that possesses the stability they need to find success. Having said that, I couldn’t tell you a single team that would be interested in taking on either player at the moment. While Milwaukee has been rumored to have great interest in acquiring All-Star big man DeAndre Jordan, a deal seems unlikely as the Bucks probably don’t have the desire to put together the trade package necessary for the Clippers’ selling price.
The Bucks are more than likely out of title contention for this season regardless if they make the playoffs. Although they’ll go home without the Larry O’Brien trophy, there’s one major task they must complete before they can begin to think about one day hoisting that coveted prize above their heads.
Finding a worthy head coach should be their top priority this offseason, and if you ask me, David Fizdale would be a perfect fit. His 50-51 track record as a head coach may not instill much confidence in his abilities, but his basketball mind is much greater than his record could ever show. His players were rarely healthy and his team was devoid of much talent in Memphis, but given the chance to coach an up and coming team like the Bucks, Fizdale could build a career as well as a franchise in Milwaukee.
