If the Milwaukee Bucks aren’t on their toes every time they have a game, they will wind up failing. And by failing we don’t just mean losing on the court.
Before every game, Bucks head coach Jason Kidd gives his players a written exam. As Zach Lowe of Grantland notes, Kidd got the idea from Rick Carlisle and Terry Stotts when he was with the Dallas Mavericks.
The exam covers both X’s and O’s and basketball history. Players could be asked about a certain defensive strategy for their upcoming game, or they could be asked who the first ever coach of the Miami Heat was. And they often consult one another for answers.
“I’m not gonna lie,” 20-year-old Giannis Antetokounmpo told Grantland. “Sometimes I cheat and ask the older guys.”
Fortunately, Antetokounmpo won’t receive an “F” if he is caught cheating. Kidd said he wants players to “cheat” so they discuss strategy with each other. He also likes that foreign-born players sometimes need help with the instructions, which encourages coaching and team chemistry.
Test time. MT @ZachLowe_NBA: Bucks highlights: new hires, Jason Kidd’s written tests, more: http://t.co/Id3mYTydut pic.twitter.com/9foXbzXV1V
— Nick Monroe (@nmonroe) December 9, 2014
The Bucks won just 15 games all of last season. They have already won 11 this year, and many are surprised to see them sitting just below .500 more than a quarter of the way through the season. Kidd’s methods may have drawn criticism from certain NBA veterans, but he is obviously doing something right in Milwaukee.
