The Golden State Warriors are having their best season in franchise history and a lot of that success should be attributed to their head coach, Steve Kerr, and his free-flowing offense will be matched up with Dave Joerger’s grit and grind Memphis Grizzlies in a clash of styles on Friday night.
At first glance, these coaches look nothing alike due to their contrasting styles, but both share similar paths to their head coaching positions.
At the end of last season, it did not seem like the Warriors’ franchise would be looking for a new man to lead their team because Mark Jackson was coming off two postseason berths with tons of young talent on the roster, looking to get better. But sometimes, coaches’ futures are not all based on the success of the team. Just look at Jim Harbaugh with the San Francisco 49ers, who was fired after incredible success.
Like Harbaugh, Jackson had issues with the front office and when the Warriors could not get past the Clippers in the first round, they gave him the ax. It shocked everyone on the outside world, but it was not unprecedented, considering the same thing happened in Memphis with Lionel Hollins.
Hollins, like Jackson, had incredible success in Memphis, leading the Grizzlies to the postseason in three of five years as the leader of the franchise. In his last season with the team, Hollins coached the Grizzlies all the way to the Western Conference Finals, losing to the San Antonio Spurs. Even though he led Memphis to their best season in franchise history, he was fired due to differing views with the front office.
The Warriors will face the Grizzlies on Friday night in a possible Western Conference Finals preview, in a matchup of the two best teams in the West. The Warriors are led by Kerr, who has employed a fluid and ball-movement oriented offense that has thrived in Oakland. On the other side, the Grizzlies are led by Joerger, whose offense runs through his post players, Marc Gasol and Zach Randolph, a much more deliberate style than the Warriors.
Mar 25, 2015; Memphis, TN, USA; Memphis Grizzlies head coach Dave Joerger reacts to a play in the second half against the Cleveland Cavaliers at FedExForum. Cleveland defeated Memphis 111-89. Mandatory Credit: Nelson Chenault-USA TODAY Sports
Joerger is in his second season with Memphis and is coming off a postseason appearance last season. He has taken much of Hollins’ philosophies because he was an assistant with the Grizzlies for six years prior to taking over as head coach. He believes in post play, gritty defense and he has just personnel to execute his plan. Randolph and Gasol are probably the best post players at their respective positions and Mike Conley and Tony Allen give the Grizzlies one of the best defensive backcourts.
Kerr, in his first season with the Warriors, relies much more on his perimeter shooting and constant switching on the defensive end. He loves to play small ball and make his opponents adjust to his style of play. His formula has led the Warriors to the best record in the NBA and probable number one seed in the West.
Via @gswstats - the #Grizzlies are the only team yet to lose to the #Warriors this season. Memphis won the first meeting 105-98 on Dec 16.
— Ross Wooden (@RossWooden) March 26, 2015
The Grizzlies are the only team the Warriors have yet to beat and lots of experts have said Memphis poses the biggest threat to Golden State because their post play and size. It will be a battle of styles on Friday night in which both front offices are extremely happy with after getting rid of their highly successful coaches.
It is unclear which coach will have more prosperity in the postseason but both franchises are better because of the men in charge.