Mirza Teletovic on Jason Kidd: "The New Gregg Popovich"

Photo by D. Clarke Evans/NBAE

Without a doubt, San Antonio Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich is one of the best coaches in the NBA right now, if not the best. Many also consider him to be one of the best ever – again, if not the best. When you think of the greatest coaches in NBA history, you think of Red Auerbach, Phil Jackson, and Pat Riley; Popovich's name inevitably comes up in that conversation, too. He's famous for his emphasis on fundamentals and defense, his stoic personality (often to the point of hilarity), and his ability to take players that nobody wanted and make them into solid, useful, effective players.

Popovich has been coaching basketball since 1973 (the year Jason Kidd was born); in the NBA since 1996. Now in his 18th season at the helm of the Spurs, Popovich has missed the playoffs just once in his NBA coaching career – and that was in his first season. He's helped San Antonio bring home four championships in five appearances, and was approximately one Ray Allen away from winning his fifth last season. He has an all-time record of 937-433.

Kidd's all-time coaching record is 18-22, but that didn't stop Nets sharpshooter Mirza Teletovic from calling him "the new Gregg Popovich" in a Skype interview with a Bosnian newspaper, NetsDaily.com reported.

"Jason Kidd will be one of the best coaches, for sure," Teletovic raved. "You can talk to him and he really explains things."

Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News also reported Teletovic's high opinion of Kidd:

Had conversation last night with enthusiastic Mirza Teletovic: "Jason's beginning to be a really, really good coach. I can really feel it."
— Stefan Bondy (@NYDNInterNets) January 22, 2014

Comparisons to Popovich are far-fetched at this point. Popovich has been a basketball coach since before Kidd was literally in diapers. It's just too early in his career to make such a claim.

But Mirza does raise an interesting point. While Popovich has four championships and 17 seasons on Kidd, there are some characteristics in their personalities and coaching styles that can be made. Both are crafty and softspoken. Both hold defense in high regard. Both were leaders as players (Popovich was captain of the Air Force basketball team when he played there).

The Nets are 13-11 since Lawrence Frank was reassigned after a 5-12 start. Under the sole leadership of Jason Kidd, they've improved in virtually every aspect of their game.

I don't feel comfortable saying that Kidd will be as good a coach as Popovich, but one can hope. Things have certainly improved since his emergence as a leader. Kidd would be smart to model his coaching platform after Popovich's, without a doubt. Kidd was one of the smartest, savviest players the NBA has seen – he should be able to bring the same guile to the sidelines and emulate what Popovich can do for a team.

Kidd got a bit of unfair treatment in the beginning of the season from most observers (myself included). We mocked him when we saw Lawrence Frank drawing up plays instead of him. We grew impatient when he sat on the sidelines with his head in his hands. We yelled at our televisions for him to get up and do something. We thought he was a bad coach – but maybe we were wrong.

Looking back at the circumstances around the beginning Kidd's inaugural season as head coach, it only makes sense that his team struggled. There were seven new faces on the roster who weren't on the team the previous season. Early injuries kept them from having any sort of legitimate training camp or preseason. Most players on the team were veterans who were used to playing their way and having people around them adapt to their game – now, they were all thrown into the pot at once and they all had to adapt. Kidd had countless voices whispering in his ear. Let's not beat around the bush: Kidd was nothing more than a figurehead at the beginning of the season. It made him desperate.

Then, he took his first real step into the realm of leadership: he demoted Frank. His was the lone voice talking to the players. Since then, things have only looked up. Kidd looks confident on the floor now. His team is playing better. He did what he needed to do: he gave himself some breathing room and allowed himself to actually coach this team, and it's only been to the benefit of the Nets.

Is Jason Kidd comparable to Gregg Popovich? Right now, absolutely not. But who knows what the future may hold?
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