Jason Kidd is losing the Brooklyn Nets' locker room. Next, he could be losing his job.
Yahoo! Sports is reporting that Kidd, the Nets' rookie head coach, has alienated his assistant coaches - the ones he hasn't demoted, anyway - and his players with his lack of leadership that has led to Brooklyn's 10-19 start this season with a $180 million payroll and expectations of competing for an NBA title.
According to Yahoo! Sports, "The Nets had tried to be supportive of Kidd, but patience is running low on the belief he can deliver the structure and organization desperately needed. As the Nets have devolved into chaos, Kidd has increasingly isolated himself within the locker room and organization, sources told Yahoo Sports. From management to players, Kidd has shown an inability to manage crisis and keep the respect of his players."
Kidd, who retired as a player after last season and accepted the Nets' head coaching position, has had a beyond-rocky transition since taking over. He received a DWI in July and received a two-game suspension from the NBA.
In November, he was fined $50,000 for staging a spilled drink incident on the Nets bench to get an extra timeout late in the game.
Earlier this month, Kidd demoted top assistant Lawrence Frank, whom Kidd brought in to help Kidd make the transition from player to head coach. Kidd, who convinced Nets management to make Frank the highest-paid assistant in the league.
And a few days ago, Kidd said his team was growing comfortable with losing. Kidd's inexperience has management growing quite uncomfortable.
"All along, Kidd keeps pushing a fictional storyline that there were 'differing agendas' with Frank, a suggestion that his assistant coach had been undermining him. The Nets were running the defense Kidd wanted this summer, and Frank had been the presence in practice that Kidd had encouraged upon his hiring. In the end, Kidd wanted 'yes' men around him. Now, there's no one to challenge him. In so many ways, Kidd is all alone on this job.
"Of course, Kidd had been warned. Before he pushed out Frank, sources said, other assistant coaches pleaded with him: Please don't do this. The message to Kidd was this: Even if you think you don't need him, the rest of us do. Kidd didn't listen to his staff, nor management on this impulsive act."
There seems to be no indication that the Nets are on the verge of turning their season around anytime soon. The only thing that could be happening soon is a change in the head coach.
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