The new coach of the Dallas Mavericks could not be happier to have No. 2 helming the point.
In a recent interview with Mavs.com, Rick Carlisle gave readers a glimpse into the next season, revealing that Jason and his floor leadership will be at the heart of the 2008-09 Dallas squad.
Jason Kidd is a Hall-of-Fame player who’s still playing at an All-Star level. Every player in the league would love to play with him because he gets you the ball where you can do something with it. Players, in general, want to play in Dallas because of Mark Cuban and the attraction to the city and where the franchise has ascended to in terms of prestige. I’ve always loved Jason from afar. You look at his record when he comes to a new team – that team almost always takes an immediate step up.
This year was a little different because he came in two-thirds of the way through the season and Avery didn’t have the opportunity to use him from Day One in a training-camp situation, and sort of have a plan and style for how to utilize his abilities. I think that made the situation challenging for Jason and Avery as well. We’re going to have the opportunity to go from Day One with him and I’m looking forward to it. This is a guy that’s got a lot left in the tank and I’ve never had the opportunity to coach a player quite like him.
I had [Chauncey] Billups my second year in Detroit. I coached Reggie Miller a couple different times as an assistant and head coach, and he was a great player. Jermaine O’Neal and Artest were both terrific players, but never a Hall-of-Fame caliber point guard.
For the entire interview, go to Mavs.com.