John Stockton isn’t heard from much around NBA circles these days—at least not to universal public knowledge. The Hall of Fame point guard seems to prefer life outside the spotlight.
That, however, didn’t prevent him from working with the Milwaukee Bucks at head coach Jason Kidd’s request during their training camp.
As new team member Matthew Dellavedova told ESPN.com’s Thomas Neumann:
Q: With Jason Kidd as your coach, you’re getting a chance to play for one of the game’s great point guards. What kind of relationship do the two of you have?
A: We’re just getting to know each other. He’s been offering tips on what he sees out there. There’s no better [situation] as a point guard as having a coach that played the same position at the highest level for a long, long time. It’s been great so far, and we’re looking forward to the season.
Q: Has he given you specific pointers, or is it more general advice?
A: It’s been general, about leading guys and things like that. On the court, different passes or pushing the break. He also brought John Stockton into training camp, so it was really cool to be able to ask him some questions as well.
It makes sense that Kidd would go this route. The Bucks’ point guard position is a source of disquiet, and Stockton doled out more assists during his career than anyone in NBA history. Though he clearly didn’t work magic that left the Bucks feeling good about Michael Carter-Williams, Dellavedova could certainly use a few playmaking pointers.
And then there’s Giannis Antetokounmpo. The Bucks are trying to use him like a seven-foot point guard. Stockton, while nearly 12 inches shorter than Antetokounmpo, can teach him the ins and outs of running an offense—really nuanced stuff such as passing out of double-teams, deferring off screens, using certain angles, maintaining your dribble and, most notably, perfectly executing a pick-and-roll.
Now let’s see if Stockton’s time in Milwaukee translates into regular-season success. The Bucks haven’t looked good on offense in quite a while, and they’re hovering around the bottom five of preseason efficiency, according to NBA.com. They need all the immediate help they can get.
