MONDAY, 8:35pm: Kidd underwent right hip arthroplasty in New York on Monday and is expected to make a full recovery, according to the team’s official Twitter feed. There is no timetable for his return and Prunty will assume the head coaching duties in Kidd’s absence, as Gardner previously indicated, the team adds. (Twitter links here).
SUNDAY, 8:09pm: Bucks head coach Jason Kidd will undergo right hip surgery on Monday in New York and be out indefinitely while assistant coach Joe Prunty will serve as interim head coach, Charles F. Gardner of The Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel reports (on Twitter). Four to six weeks is the early estimate for how much time Kidd will miss, Marc Stein of ESPN.com tweets. The pain in Kidd’s hip stems from his time with the Mavs late in his playing career, Gardner writes in a full story.
“It’s been chronic for the last three to four years, since I was in Dallas the last time,” Kidd said. “The pain has been to the point where I can’t function. I’ve taken all the medicine I can do. Talking to the doctors, there’s really no good time to do the surgery. I have to fix myself and then we move on and get back to work.”
The Bucks are an underwhelming 11-18 following Sunday’s win in Kidd’s second season guiding the team. Of note, Kidd’s reach with the franchise goes beyond calling the plays, as Gery Woelfel of The Journal Times recently told Hoops Rumors that Kidd is calling the shots on personnel matters, too. Thus, the timing of Kidd’s news comes at an interesting time given the Carlos Boozer and Caron Butler rumors and the apparent void of leadership among the players in the Bucks locker room.
Prunty, who will take over in Kidd’s place, was an assistant for the Nets while Kidd was the head coach in Brooklyn. Prunty followed Kidd to Milwaukee for the 2014/15 season. Prior to joining the Nets, Prunty served as an assistant for the Cavs, Blazers, Mavs and Spurs.
“We’re all set,” Kidd said, according to Gardner. “Joe Prunty will take over and he will run the team. But nobody gets out of their lane. Joe will still be offense and [assistant coach Sean] Sweeney will still be defense. The guys have to continue to develop. It’s in good hands with the coaching staff. We’re built as a roundtable. Joe is well-qualified to keep these guys going in the right direction.”