Jason Kidd says Emmanuel Mudiay will ‘be better’ than him
By Avel Ivanov
Milwaukee Bucks head coach and future Hall of Famer Jason Kidd has nothing but praise for rookie point guard Emmanuel Mudiay of the Denver Nuggets
NBA Champion and 10-time All Star Jason Kidd has cemented his position in history as one of the best point guards to ever play. Kidd finished his career three seasons ago with more assists than Magic Johnson, more rebounds than Alonzo Mourning, more steals than Gary Payton and more three-pointers than Larry Bird. Vary rarely do well-rounded players, nevertheless point guards, come into the league that can be compared to Jason Kidd. But according to him, we may have one on our hands in the Mile High City of Denver.
Prior to the Milwaukee Bucks’ match up with the Denver Nuggets, Jason Kidd had this to say to Chris Dempsey of the Denver Post regarding rookie point guard Emmanuel Mudiay:
"At 19 years old, he’s very talented,” Kidd said. “He’s running the team, he’s not afraid to take a big shot. Some people have said that he can’t shoot, but he finds a way to put the ball in the basket. I think he enjoys to play the game, and I think for me, watching the tape on him is exciting. To see a 19-year old being able to run a team with his poise, and then also his skills. He has skills at the age of 19.”"
When asked if the rookie compares to him when he first entered the NBA back in 1994 he smiled and replied with:
"“He’ll be better,” Kidd said. “He’s better already. Being able to run an NBA team at 19 is not easy. You look at some of the greats — Magic (Johnson) was able to do it. And you’re looking at this kid Mudiay, who has the opportunity to do something special. So, I would encourage him to be better than me, and I think he will be at the end of the day.”"
Comparing a Hall of Famer in Jason Kidd with a 19-year old in Emmanuel Mudiay seems absurd, but the numbers tell a different story. In his first year with the Dallas Mavericks, Jason Kidd had averages of 11.7 points, 7.7 assists and 5.4 rebounds. Although still early in the season, through the first eight games Emmanuel Mudiay has put up an average of 13.1 points, 6.3 assists and 4.1 rebounds. He’s surpassed 10+ assists in a game twice already this year.
Sure, saying that the 6’5″ Congo national will be better than the second overall assists leader in NBA history may be a bold statement to make, but the fact that it is coming from Jason Kidd himself makes it that much more intriguing to consider.
The very long leash that coach Mike Malone has given his star point guard can be evident night in and night out. Opposite the situation facing D’Angelo Russell in Los Angeles, Malone has been consistent with the the Nuggets’ seventh overall pick late down the stretch and that has provided room for Mudiay to grow. Jason Kidd played 33.8 minutes in his rookie year with Dick Motta and the Dallas Mavericks in 1994; Emmanuel Mudiay is on pace to play 34+ in the 2015/16 season.
After a bumpy start to his rookie campaign with 11 turnovers in his first game against the Houston Rockets, Emmanuel Mudiay’s breakthrough performance came against the Portland Trail Blazers at home on November 9th. The point guard put up 18 points, five assists, six rebounds and two key blocks against Damian Lillard, one which ended up winning the game for the Denver Nuggets.
That single block may have signified the arrival of Emmanuel Mudiay. Against Jason Kidd’s Bucks, Mudiay scored 16 points with 11 assists and only 1 turnover bringing his Nuggets the victory.
Following the game, he had this to say about Jason Kidd’s comments:
"“When you get a Hall of Famer talking to you like that, that’s huge,” Mudiay said. “And just take all of the advice you can get.”"