Jason Kidd on Nets' Steve Nash: 'He's one of the better coaches in this league'
Nets head coach Steve Nash gestures in the second half of an NBA basketball game against the Toronto Raptors at Barclays Center on Friday, Oct. 21, 2022. Credit: Kathleen Malone-Van Dyke
Steve Nash may have his detractors, but one former Nets player and coach is not among them. Jason Kidd, whose Dallas Mavericks visited Brooklyn on Thursday night, had nothing but positive things to say about his former teammate.
“He’s one of the better coaches in this league,” Kidd said of Nash before the Nets lost in overtime, 129-125. “His IQ is off the charts. So I know he’s getting a lot of [criticism] or a lot of finger-pointing. But he’s a young coach. You got to give him time, too.”
Nash said of Kidd: “We played against each other in college, worked out together in college, so we go way back. Were teammates on Phoenix and played against each other for the most part in our careers. A lot of history and we have a great relationship and excited for all his successes. It’s great to be able to compete again.”
No back-to-back for Harris
Joe Harris, who is recovering from offseason ankle surgery, was not active after playing 20:36 on Wednesday in Milwaukee.
“Joe should play Saturday,” Nash said. “Right now, it’s just managing the surgery. Not the most recent kind of foot soreness stuff. I think we’re hoping we’re behind or past [that]. It’s really just trying to preserve him here early in the season. We don’t expose him to back-to-backs, knowing that he’s coming off of a serious ankle surgery.”
Curry visits Long Island
Seth Curry (ankle) was temporarily assigned to Long Island of the G League on Thursday so he could practice with the team. “He’s getting closer,” Nash said. “So we’ll see how he feels tomorrow and evaluate that.”
The last word
Nash on whether he had any thoughts on the officiating the day after he was ejected from the game in Milwaukee: “It’s not really worth going over it. I can have those discussions with the powers that be.”
Anthony Rieber covers baseball, as well as the NFL, NBA and NHL. He has worked at Newsday since Aug. 31, 1998, and has been in his current position since July 5, 2004.
