Now, that Jason Kidd is heading to NBA Siberia – better known as Milwaukee –the Brooklyn Nets have the perfect guy to replace him as coach.
It's Mark Jackson.
On Monday, Kidd was traded to the Milwaukee Bucks in exchange for two second-round picks. The Nets now shouldn't hesitate to scoop up Jackson, the former Golden State Warriors coach.
Jackson, 49, is a perfect fit on many fronts.
Jackson's just like Kidd, a former point guard who has had success as a young coach.
The players of today can relate to Jackson, who has been through it all as a player in the Association.
Best of all, Jackson belongs. He's a New Yorker – born in Brooklyn, played college ball at St. John's in Jamaica, Queens. He was Rookie of the Year in 1988 with the New York Knicks.
New Yorkers know Jackson because he's one of them. He knows how to get things done in a city not into excuses.
As a coach with the Warriors, Jackson took the team to back-to-back playoff appearances for the first time since 1992.
Yes, the resume is almost too good to be true for Brooklyn, a team that got better in the second half of last season and went to the second round of the playoffs.
Best of all, the hiring of Jackson would also stick it to the Knicks. That's who fans wanted after Knicks Czar Phil Jackson swung and missed on the hiring of Steve Kerr. Jax settled on Derek Fisher, who just retired as a player and has no experience as a coach.
Brooklyn is happening, hip.
This spring, they were in the playoffs, grabbing the back pages of the tabloids while the Knicks were cleaning up another mess, trying to explain how they didn't make the playoffs despite having one of the best players in the league in Camelo Anthony.
The early names floated out there as the possible replacement for Kidd are the usual suspects, including Lionel Hollins and George Karl.
Both have had a lot of success and are veteran coaches in the league.
Hollins, who took the Memphis Grizzlies to the conference finals in the West in 2013, is reportedly still in the running to become the Los Angeles Lakers coach.
And Karl is doing TV work since being pushed out of Denver after winning Coach of the Year in 2013.
Both are qualified. Either coach would be a safe, solid pick. There's no debate about that.
But the Nets aren't safe or conventional. That's what makes them cutting edge in the current NBA landscape.
When they hired Kidd, most thought they were crazy. Kidd had just retired and possessed no previous head-coaching experience.
Kidd didn't seem to fit a team filled with veterans and poised to compete for a title with the additions of Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett.
But it worked. The Nets shook their early-season poor play and excelled in the second half, even without their best player, Brook Lopez who was lost for the season with an injury.
Still, this team is in position to make another run next season, especially if they stay healthy. The odds are in their favor.
The Nets need to remain bold and daring while they build their burgeoning post-New Jersey brand. Jackson would fit with this organization and pump up New York fans about where this team is headed.
In fact, it could be a turning point for this franchise. For sure, the Knicks have their diehards, fans who will never leave the blue and orange no matter how rancid they are.
But it's been 40 years since the Knicks won an NBA title. If Melo leaves for free agency, the Knicks will be wreck, in for another bad year.
Fans in NYC never thought the Mets could own the town, either. But it happened in the mid 80s. The city was abuzz about Doc and Darryl in Flushing, not the Yankees' tradition in Da Bronx.
It's about winning.
The Nets have a lot going for themselves, including a great building in Downtown Brooklyn, a good team with stars and the right coach would be icing on the cake.
Jackson is the guy. No doubt about it.
