With an 8-2 record early into the season, it is certainly not a stretch to claim that the Warriors are flourishing under Steve Kerr, who has garnered nothing but praise from his players, his colleagues, and his peers.
As a lifelong student of the game with experience playing under arguably the two greatest head coaches of all time in Gregg Popovich and Phil Jackson, Kerr understands the direction he needs to take to bring the Warriors to the next level. While a 51-win season is nothing to scoff at, Kerr has stated that he wants to build on the team’s previous success under Mark Jackson and maintain consistent improvement after each season.
A huge concern that followed Kerr’s hiring was whether or not Kerr would be able to retain the team’s dominant defensive presence that Jackson was responsible for creating. Currently the Warriors rank fourth in defensive rating while also improving to eighth in offensive rating. The offensive efficiency and sustained defensive intensity are also a result of Alvin Gentry and Ron Adam’s philosophies. As a rookie head coach, Kerr knew he would need the wisdom of an experienced coaching staff, and consequently built a staff that fosters a cohesive and united locker room environment.
For many people, Kerr’s coaching style may come as a breath of fresh air after Mark Jackson’s stubbornness to alter his game plans or rotations and strife with his coaching staff. Kerr isn’t afraid to hold himself accountable for losses and even stated how his own mistakes cost the Warriors a win in Phoenix. He also doesn’t hesitate to hold his players accountable as he has immediately called for timeouts as soon as he senses a change of pace or when something goes awry.
This is refreshing for Warriors fans who last season had to witness 20 point leads vanish last season without a single timeout or substitution. This season we are also witnessing tremendous growth or revitalization from much of the roster. Kerr has shown the ability to instill confidence in his players while also utilizing their strengths. He isn’t afraid to experiment with different rotations in order to maximize everyone’s skills. We’ve seen the increased use of Andrew Bogut on offense, who has been running many offensive sets and looking to score more for himself. We’ve seen Harrison Barnes regain his confidence, as he looks more comfortable on the court and is no longer hesitant to score. We’ve seen Marreese Speights look like a reliable threat off the bench, compared to a season ago during which his presence would result in terrible shots and bad decision making.
It has been reiterated numerous times that Kerr wants to emulate Popovich’s coaching style and philosophy. He wants the Warriors to play and win as a team. Although these early games have been riddled with excessive turnovers and sloppy mistakes, it’s easy to see the unselfishness that everyone plays with. There have been rare instances of isolation and post-ups this season leading to superb ball movement and staggering assist numbers (25.5 per game). Kerr does realize that one of the Warriors’ main strengths is running on the open court and has been trying to find the balance between pushing the pace and maintaining a steady half-court offense. So far it appears that Kerr has built a healthy relationship with his players, staff and the front office which ideally will create a foundation for success.