Kerr battling with NBA reality
SAN FRANCISCO — Steve Kerr tried to warn us. During the Warriors’ fiveseason run of glory, the head coach said, time and again, “This is not reality.”
Kerr prepared us, the media and fans, for that cold NBA reality, but was he prepared? Not only have the Warriors fallen to Earth with a thud, but so has Kerr.
For years, even the pickiest of nitpickers found little fault with Kerr’s coaching. Now? As the Warriors risk sliding from mediocrity toward Lotteryland, critics are lining up to rip the genius coach.
Does Kerr deserve the heat? Absolutely. If you give a coach credit for his team going to the NBA Finals five years in a row, it’s fair to criticize him when the team goes south.
Before the Warriors’ spirited win over the Bucks on Tuesday night, Kerr’s report card for the 2020-21 school year was not looking good. I probably would have given him a C for the season to date. Judging by the local chatter from the professional and amateur analysts, I would have been generous.
Three of the main redink comments on Kerr’s report card under “Needs improvement”:
• His inconsistent use of rookie center James Wiseman. In the starting lineup, then out, then in. In the doghouse, then out. Minutes up and down.
• Kerr’s stubborn eschewing of the pick-androll, which is all the rage in the NBA. Stephen Curry is a great pick-and-roll guard. Wouldn’t more P&R speed development of the chemistry between Curry and Wiseman, who have not been effective together? A great coach adapts his system to the players he has.
• Inconsistent passion. These Warriors have a tendency to slip into a sub-competitive malaise.
Well, good news for Kerr’s mom: His report card is looking much better after that 122-121 win over the Bucks, which the Warriors treated like a playoff win. How often does Curry hug his coach after a regular-season victory?
Wiseman played 25 minutes and rewarded Kerr’s faith with 13 points, 10 rebounds and glimmers of defensive skill.
The Warriors ran 71 (seventy-one!) pick-androlls, 64 above their average, and Curry was on fire, shredding a good defense.
The Warriors seemed energized, focused and cohesive.
Was it a momentary high point in the ongoing rollercoaster season? We’ll see.
It’s worth noting, in this critique of Kerr’s coaching, that about a month ago, he was being mentioned in early talks about Coach of the Year. Then came a slide. The Warriors were on a 1-7 stretch going into Tuesday’s game. They played the Wizards on Friday.
Kerr said this week he has struggled to fit the pieces of the puzzle together. Why? If he’s a great coach, why has the puzzle been so puzzling for 50plus games? How did a great coach get so muddled?
Ripping (or critiquing) Kerr is a fairly recent phenomenon. Many will say that Kerr is treated well by Bay Area media because he makes our job easier. He is open, approachable, even friendly. Treats us with easygoing mutual respect.
Journalism 101 rule: Don’t fall in love with the coach or manager and lose your objectivity. But Kerr is so damn media-friendly, without apparent phoniness, that there can be a temptation to cut him slack.
Plus, for five seasons, there wasn’t a lot to criticize. Rings don’t lie.
There are different coaching skills, though. Kerr proved he can take a good team to a higher level. His offensive schemes unleashed the full Curry and the full Warriors.
But a well-rounded coach can coach up an average team. This is a whole new challenge for Kerr, and to get out of the report-card doghouse, his Warriors are going to have to roll out wins like Tuesday’s on a consistent basis.
Kerr will have to continue to be open to more radical departures from his favored offensive style, like Tuesday’s pick-and-roll-apalooza. He’s going to have to find the right formula with Wiseman, which won’t be easy. The rookie recently revealed he is in regular contact with Kevin Durant, who can be a great mentor, but you can be sure he is not sending texts like,“Steve Kerr is a very wise man. Trust fully everything he says and does.”
Kerr’s first-ever coaching job was with the Warriors, so he has no backlog of experience with many of the challenges with which he’s dealing now. That inexperience could be costly.
NBA reality has arrived. Can Kerr handle it? His report card hangs in the balance.