With Kerr out, Fraser moves up
One of the more overlooked changes during Steve Kerr’s indefinite hiatus from in-game coaching is that Warriors assistant Bruce Fraser, best known as Stephen Curry’s personal shooting guru, has moved seats.
Over the past two playoff games, Fraser has joined acting head coach Mike Brown, as well as assistants Ron Adams and Jarron Collins ,on the front row of the bench. It has allowed Fraser to give up his seat cushion, a necessity when he was sitting in the second row with fellow playerdevelopment coaches Willie Green and Chris DeMarco.
“When you’re in the front, you can really see things better,” Fraser said when asked Friday about the biggest adjustment to his new role. “When I’m behind, sometimes a coach will be up in front or the refs will be in front of you.”
Because he has long shouldered more responsibility than is normal for a player-development coach, Fraser’s view of the court might really be his most significant change to filling in as one of Golden State’s three top assistants. Being up front affords him the chance to have a better grasp on what’s unfolding so that, when players return to the bench, he can offer pointers.
When Kerr missed the first 43 games of last season because of problems stemming from back surgery, Fraser joined then-acting head coach Luke Walton in the front row. Kerr insisted when he returned that Fraser continue to participate in the coaches’ huddle, a privilege typically reserved for the head coach and his three main assistants.
The only difference responsibilities-wise for Fraser with Brown as acting head coach is that he helps more with the rotation. When Kerr was coaching, Brown’s primary in-game job was managing the substitution patterns. Now, with Kerr out, Brown has divvied up that duty among Fraser, Adams and Collins.
“I’m lucky,” Fraser said. Injury update: Forward Matt Barnes (right ankle/foot sprain) and point guard Shaun Livingston (right index finger sprain) participated in practice Friday morning. With Game 1 of the Western Conference semifinals set for Tuesday, they both remain questionable. Connor Letourneau is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: cletourneau@sfchronicle. com Twitter: @Con_Chron