Players keep endorsing Coach Kidd

As we note in Off-Season Report, there is near unanimity among the skeptics that the Jason Kidd hire is at best a big risk but among players, the reverse is true: near unanimity that it can and likely will work.

AP sent a reporter to the players union's annual Top 100 camp in Virginia to gauge reaction there, particularly among veterans...among them Jerry Stackhouse.

''Jason Kidd's been in the locker room with the Michael Jordans, everybody to the Kyrie Irvings, so he's able to relate to them,'' said Stackhouse, who played with Kidd in Dallas. ''I think he's going to do a good job. ... It's not like he took on a bad group.''

Stack wasn't alone. Andre Miller and Andre Iguodala had similar sentiments. Miller admits his first reaction was surprise ... and skepticism.

''You know that he knows how to play basketball and he knows what it takes, so it surprised me at first, but what better player to make that transition right away to show, 'I can do this' by the things that he's done in his career.' It's good for the guys in that situation and (to) learn from a guy like that.''

Iggy had no doubts.

''It wasn't just by his presence on the court but his presence every day, his presence off the court, in practice, making guys buy into something they weren't used to buckling down and doing, so I'm not surprised at all.''

• Jerry Stackhouse, Andre Miller, Andre Igoudala say Jason Kidd will succeed as Brooklyn Nets coach - AP