Kerr gives team a lift as he takes part in practice
By Connor Letourneau
When the doors opened to the media Saturday afternoon at Golden State’s practice facility, Steve Kerr was stretching as he watched Stephen Curry shoot. It was a feel-good development for a team that has been without its head coach for three weeks.
Kerr, who underwent a spinal cord leak procedure May 5 at Duke University, helped coach a Warriors practice Saturday for the first time since stepping away from the bench before Game 3 of the first round to seek an answer to his chronic pain. That came a day after he attended a coaches’ meeting Friday morning.
“For me, more than anything else, it was great to see him at practice, walking around, talking to guys,” acting head coach Mike Brown said. “I really enjoy it, because he’s the guy that laid the foundation and got everybody heading the right direction. The more he can be around, the better feel all of us have. Not just the players, but as a staff and so forth.”
Saturday marked the first time players had seen Kerr since they left last week for Games 3 and 4 in Utah. The Warriors, who open the Western Conference finals against San Antonio on Sunday, still have no timetable for Kerr’s return to the bench.
“I’ll just coach until they tell me otherwise,” said Brown, who consults Kerr regularly about the game plan. “For me, it’s a little different because I hear his voice a couple times a day.”
After watching Kerr endure complications from back surgery for nearly two years, those inside the organization were just pleased to see he is feeling better.
“It’s great any time you can hear his voice, see his face,” Curry said. “He’s obviously been doing his homework in between his down times helping us get prepared for this series, and you know he misses being around for the day-to-day routine and the atmosphere, practice, locker room and games and all that. His ability to be here means a lot.” Leonard update: Spurs forward Kawhi Leonard will play Sunday against the Warriors, San Antonio head coach Gregg Popovich told reporters Saturday.
Leonard missed Game 6 of the conference semifinals against Houston with a sprained left ankle. The Defensive Player of the Year candidate “absolutely” fully participated in Saturday’s practice in San Antonio, Popovich said.
Leonard is leading the Spurs this postseason in scoring (27.8 points per game), assists (4.7 per game) and steals (1.7 per game).