From Playoff Hopefuls to Title Contenders
By Greg Chin
December 10, 2014; Oakland, CA, USA; Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr instructs in a team huddle during the second quarter against the Houston Rockets at Oracle Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
2014-15: Steve Kerr and the New Era
Eventually, the Mark Jackson – Golden State Warriors relationship soured to a point where it was unfixable. He was let go, and Steve Kerr was brought on as his replacement. The search for a new coach was tricky, due to the success that Jackson had brought to the franchise.
Warriors’ general manager Joe Lacob summed it best when explaining his decision to fire Jackson despite the success he brought to the team.
"“When you’re a startup company it’s one thing, when you’re a small-growth company it’s one thing and when you’re a mature company that’s trying to reach a billion in sales — or in this case win an NBA championship — perhaps that’s a different person. And we just felt overall we needed a different person.”"
Thankfully, Kerr’s hiring brought instant success, and the rest is history. It has been an incredible season so far, ranging from the breakout seasons by Klay Thompson and Draymond Green, to the resurgences of Leandro Barbosa and Shaun Livingston, to the numerous records the Warriors have broken this season.
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The Golden State Warriors’ culture is changing. Once considered as playoff hopefuls, the Warriors have bigger dreams and aspirations this season. They might not win it all come June, but don’t be surprised if the Warriors return with a “championship or bust” mentality next season.