Build a championship team around prime J-Kidd where he's the best player

[Im Still Ballin]

In 2023-24. The salaries must be realistic. Cap is $136 million.

My starters:

PG: Jason Kidd ($35m max contract)
SG: KCP ($14,704,938)
SF: MPJ ($33,386,850)
PF: Jaren Jackson Jr ($27,102,202)
C: Brook Lopez ($25,000,000)

That roughly covers the cap space. I'm going to need to use some rookies to save money. Most contenders are around $40m over the cap. So I'll allow that much for my team.

My backups:

PG: Tyus Jones ($14,000,000)
SG: Jaden Hardy ($1,017,781)
SF: Herbert Jones ($12,015,150)
PF: Jabari Smith Jr ($9,326,520)
C: Walker Kessler ($2,831,160)

My full team:

PG: Jason Kidd/Tyus Jones
SG: KCP/Jaden Hardy
SF: MPJ/Herbert Jones
PF: Jaren Jackson Jr/Jabari Smith Jr
C: Brook Lopez/Walker Kessler

My two questions to you:

1. Is prime Jason Kidd the best player on this team? (Obviously...)
2. Is this team good enough to win the championship?

I figure the team has enough shooting and defense while still relying on Jason's playmaking and shot creation. The two glaring weaknesses are potential rebounding issues and no elite scorer or shot creator outside of Kidd. I think Kidd's scoring would be passable with the five-out lineup and modern rules.

An elite defense with a passable/above-average offense. Like the reverse Denver.

[Im Still Ballin]

Prime Jason Kidd's best three-year team offensive and defensive stretches:

1997-1999 Phoenix Suns: 2.87 rORtg*
2002-2004 New Jersey Nets: 5.13 rDRtg

*Only played 33 games in 1996-97.

I think my team could have an offense somewhere between 0-3 rORtg and a defense ranging from 4-6 rDRtg. A strong contender-level team.

[Phoenix]

I would probably swap out Brook Lopez for Bam($30.5m), Porter Jr. for Pascal Siakim($37m), and KCP for Tim Hardaway Jr($16.5m),adding about $10m over cap. Swap Tyus Jones for Austin Reaves($12m), Jaden Hardy for Eric Gordon( $3.5m), Herbert Jones for Grant Williams($12m), roughly dollar for dollar.

Kidd
Hardaway Jr
Siakim
JJ Jr.
Bam

Reeves
Gordon
Williams
Smith Jr
Kessler

[FultzNationRISE]

Kidd
Reggie
Marion
ZBo
KP

Kidd is like a top 50 player all time, it’s not that hard to build a great team around him with guys who arent ranked quite as high.

[FultzNationRISE]

I guess you mean specifically today’s players. Which is harder to do because it’s unclear who’s gonna ultimately be considered better than Kidd and who’s not.

But I’ll say:

Kidd
Derrick White
Franz Wagner
Aaron Gordon
KP

[Im Still Ballin]

The closest modern superstar comparison to prime Jason Kidd is probably OKC Westbrook. Kidd is less athletic but has better basketball IQ, leadership, instincts, intangibles, and defense. More of a team player. Both are around the same size and equally tenacious as rebounders.

This Thinking Basketball video makes a good argument for 2018-19 Westbrook's value. It's a shame 2017-2019 Westbrook never played with both great shooters, rim runners, and offensive rebounding in OKC.



I think Prime Jason Kidd is probably good for 20-22 ppg, 7-9 rpg, 10-12 apg on 55-60% TS. Something to that effect. The extra pace, space, and lack of perimeter contact will allow him to get to the rim and draw more fouls per game.

[FultzNationRISE]

The closest modern superstar comparison to prime Jason Kidd is probably OKC Westbrook. Kidd is less athletic but has better basketball IQ, leadership, instincts, intangibles, and defense. More of a team player. Both are around the same size and equally tenacious as rebounders.

This Thinking Basketball video makes a good argument for 2018-19 Westbrook's value. It's a shame 2017-2019 Westbrook never played with both great shooters, rim runners, and offensive rebounding in OKC.



I think Prime Jason Kidd is probably good for 20-22 ppg, 7-9 rpg, 10-12 apg on 55-60% TS. Something to that effect. The extra pace, space, and lack of perimeter contact will allow him to get to the rim and draw more fouls per game.

I think of Jalen Brunson as a player similar to Jason Kidd in terms of overall influence on a team.

[Im Still Ballin]

I think of Jalen Brunson as a player similar to Jason Kidd in terms of overall influence on a team.

Influence? What do you mean? Like the raw level of impact? Or just leadership and intangibles?

Because they're stylistically different players, which you obviously already know. I've always thought of Brunson as a slower, better-shooting Tony Parker.

Prime Kidd's impact was more two-way; his offense from his raw shot creation, leveraged heavily on crafty playmaking, passing, and excellent vision as opposed to a robust scoring knack.

But if you just mean a general, undefined level of impact? I'm not sure. We'll need to see more from Jalen. Maybe one more season's worth a solid three-year peak.

[FultzNationRISE]

Influence? What do you mean? Like the raw level of impact? Or just leadership and intangibles?

Because they're stylistically different players, which you obviously already know. I've always thought of Brunson as a slower, better-shooting Tony Parker.

Prime Kidd's impact was more two-way; his offense from his raw shot creation, leveraged heavily on crafty playmaking, passing, and excellent vision as opposed to a robust scoring knack.

But if you just mean a general, undefined level of impact? I'm not sure. We'll need to see more from Jalen. Maybe one more season's worth a solid three-year peak.

This. Both are hardnosed self starters who stay focused on getting the job done. Theyre not the flashiest athletes but they play tough and smart, and because they do this from the point guard position it elevates the whole team. They lead by example and I think it sets a certain tone for the teams they play on.

[Im Still Ballin]

This. Both are hardnosed self starters who stay focused on getting the job done. Theyre not the flashiest athletes but they play tough and smart, and because they do this from the point guard position it elevates the whole team. They lead by example and I think it sets a certain tone for the teams they play on.

Winners. Kind of like the opposite of Marbury. Isn't funny how his former teams drastically improved when they replaced him with Kidd and Nash? It happened twice!

[Xiao Yao You]

Winners. Kind of like the opposite of Marbury. Isn't funny how his former teams drastically improved when they replaced him with Kidd and Nash? It happened twice!

that was the narrative anyway. From what I remember Kittles had missed the previous season, Van Horn missed over 30 games, and Martin was a rookie who missed 15 as well and Marbury missed 15 himself. Johnny Newman played 82 games on the Marbury team and wasn't on the Kidd team. Don't know if that was good or bad but Stephen Jackson was on the Marbury team and not on the Kidd team and that could have certainly been bad with a headcase like him. Looks like Sherman Douglas was replaced as the backup 1 which certainly could have been a good thing. Evan Eschmeyer played 74 games with Marbury and was gone on Kidd's team. I can't say I even remember him! Kidd's team added Kittles, rookies Jefferson and Collins as well as Aaron Williams and Todd McCulloch, Van Horn played 81, Kidd played 82, Martin played more and wasn't a rookie anymore. So it was pretty much a whole different team. Also Scott was in his first year as coach with Marbury

[Im Still Ballin]

Gawd-damn! Both turnarounds were insane.

2000-01 Nets: 100.0 ORtg (-3.0 rORtg); 105.5 DRtg (+2.5 rDRtg); -5.5 net rating; -5.30 SRS; 26-56 W/L
2001-02 Nets: 104.0 ORtg (-0.5 rORtg); 99.5 DRtg (-5.0 rDRtg); +4.5 net rating; +3.67 SRS; 52-30 W/L

Improvement: +4.0 ORtg (+2.5 rORtg); -6.0 DRtg (-7.5 rDRtg); +10.0 net rating; +8.97 SRS; +26 wins

2003-04 Suns: 101.4 ORtg (-1.5 rORtg); 105.5 DRtg (+2.6 rDRtg); -4.0 net rating; -2.94 SRS; 29-53 W/L
2004-05 Suns: 114.5 ORtg (+8.4 rORtg); 107.1 DRtg (+1.0 rDRtg); +7.4 net rating; 7.08 SRS; 62-20 W/L

Improvement: +13.1 ORtg (+9.9 rORtg); +1.6 DRtg (-1.6 rDRtg); +11.4 net rating; +10.02 SRS; +33 wins

[tpols]

Gawd-damn! Both turnarounds were insane.

2000-01 Nets: 100.0 ORtg (-3.0 rORtg); 105.5 DRtg (+2.5 rDRtg); -5.5 net rating; -5.30 SRS; 26-56 W/L
2001-02 Nets: 104.0 ORtg (-0.5 rORtg); 99.5 DRtg (-5.0 rDRtg); +4.5 net rating; +3.67 SRS; 52-30 W/L

Improvement: +4.0 ORtg (+2.5 rORtg); -6.0 DRtg (-7.5 rDRtg); +10.0 net rating; +8.97 SRS; +26 wins

2003-04 Suns: 101.4 ORtg (-1.5 rORtg); 105.5 DRtg (+2.6 rDRtg); -4.0 net rating; -2.94 SRS; 29-53 W/L
2004-05 Suns: 114.5 ORtg (+8.4 rORtg); 107.1 DRtg (+1.0 rDRtg); +7.4 net rating; 7.08 SRS; 62-20 W/L

Improvement: +13.1 ORtg (+9.9 rORtg); +1.6 DRtg (-1.6 rDRtg); +11.4 net rating; +10.02 SRS; +33 wins

Nash and Kidd were two of the smartest PGs ever. Guys like Marbury and Iverson were trash outside their athletic talent. Intelligence usually wins.

[tpols]

Would anybody have any problem with prime Kidd being the best player on the current Celtics? He's definitely better than Brown and Porzingis. Tatum is a coin flip but I believe Kidd was more impactful.