Kerr’s coaching experiment is a success
Players take over game-planning huddles during timeouts
OAKLAND >> Even as he has shattered coaching records, Steve Kerr has always maintained his success stems from having talented players.
Without any prompting, the Warriors head coach then offered up an example. The Warriors did not just secure a 129-83 win over the Phoenix Suns on Monday night because of their superior talent. The Warriors won partly because they coached themselves.
“They have to take ownership of it,” Kerr said. “As coaches, our job is to nudge them in the right direction and guide them. We don’t control them, They determine their own fate.”
After all, Kerr sensed the Warriors struggled with inconsistency
partly for one reason: “I have not reached them for the last month. They’re tired of my voice.”
So on Monday Kerr stopped talking.
Kerr had Warriors reserve forward Andre Iguodala organize morning shootaround, while Warriors reserve center JaVale McGee led the film sessions on his computer.
When the Warriors trailed, 13-8, with 6:58 left in the first quarter, Kerr handed his clipboard to Iguodala during a timeout. Iguodala then led the huddle and drew up a play, while Kerr and his assistants stood off to the side.
“We just figured it’s probably a good night to pull a trick out of the hat and do something different,” Kerr said. “The players responded really well. I just feel like when we’re focused, we are really tough to beat.”
Soon enough, the most compelling drama did not involve Stephen Curry nearly posting a triple double with 22 points, nine rebounds or seven assists before sitting in the fourth quarter. Nor did it entail Omri Casspi (19), Kevin Durant (17 points), Klay Thompson (16) and Nick Young (14) complementing the offense. Nor did it involve the Warriors (4413) holding the Suns (1840) to a 34.7 percent clip, while missing guard Devin Booker for the fourth consecutive game (hip pointer).
Because of that dynamic,
NBA TV analyst and former coach Sam Mitchell considered Kerr’s tactic disrespectful. Kerr argued differently, and explained his case to Suns coach Jay Triano afterwards.
“It had to do with me trying to reach my team,” Kerr said. “I have not reached them for the last month. They’re tired of my voice. I’m tired of my voice.”
Therefore all of the intrigue centered on who would lead the huddles.
Warriors veteran forward David West took over one huddle and spoke passionately on the bench. Then Draymond Green did the same thing. So did Curry, who nearly drew a delay-of-game warning for taking too long in a timeout.
“I was horrible,” Curry said. “I thought about a play. Then I forgot about the second option. Then I had two guys in the wrong place on the board.”
Eventually, Green took the most predominant role. It seemed fitting since Green was already dressed in a suit since he sat out with a sprained left index finger.
Green talked with the team during one timeout with West and McGee as his de-facto assistants. Green started calling plays from the sidelines. Green also stood up during the game and applauded his teammates when they
made a shot.
“He ran a play for me for an alley oop,” Casspi said, smiling. “If he runs that as an NBA coach, he’ll get fired. But I told him I appreciate the support and respect. I wouldn’t be able to catch it.”
This experiment will last for only one game. Kerr said Green will play on Wednesday in Portland. The Warriors will also face a much steeper challenge against the Trail Blazers (31-26) over Phoenix, which has the Western Conference’s third-worst record. But at a time the Warriors struggled trying in forgettable games in February, the Warriors finally found some purpose.
“Let’s not get carried away; I like it here,” Kerr said. “I want to stay. I like this job. I’d like to stay on the job. But tonight they needed a new voice.”
• In a meeting that Kerr called “very constructive,” the Warriors and Suns met with former NBA official Monty McCuthen and the game’s officials prior to Thursday’s game at Oracle Arena.
The topic: how to diffuse the tension that has resulted in a string of technical and ejections around the NBA.
“Bringing officials out and humanizing the refs and putting us face to face with the officials in a non competitive environment, we usually only see these guys on game night when everything is heated,” Kerr said. “So it’s good to see them in a more informal environment. I thought it was very productive.”
• Warriors reserve guard Patrick McCaw missed the second half after spraining his right wrist. He had nine points in 4-of-8 shooting in eight minutes.