For those Golden State Warriors fans who were hoping we were nearing the end of Steve Kerr’s tenure as head coach, I’d make some sort of condolences remark that he just got a new 2-year $35 million deal, except I’m extremely glad you’re disappointed he’s now the highest-paid coach in NBA history and will be around two more seasons…
For those who say he’s lost his touch and should have played the young guys more often earlier in the season (among other things) now that they’re finally on a hot streak, I need to remind you (again) that there’s so much that goes on behind the scenes that we will never learn about. I worked for teams. I saw players mess up all the time, and the coach always took public responsibility to save face. (For instance, showing up unable to concentrate after a long night out or some other example of 20-somethings taking advantage of being on the road. Ever been on a work road trip when you only have one major thing to do each day? I rest my case…)
The coach has to take the fall when teams lose, and especially when teams lose agonizingly, which the Warriors seem to have perfected this season. So Steve has had to say “I messed up” a lot more often than he has in previous years, and it has sullied his reputation among parts of the fan base…
But that’s why he’s going to get $17.5 million a year…
His mentor Gregg Popovich has said what coaches do in press conferences out loud many times: “When you win, the players did it. When you lose, it’s your fault.” Notice that whenever the Warriors win a game, especially a close one, Kerr will not talk about the rotations and decisions he made unless prompted, and then it’s all under the guise of praise for the players. But when they lose, he says without prompting that he made the wrong decision about putting a guy in late or whatever. It’s a subtle thing he’s doing that all good coaches do by making the focus on the decision to play or not play the player and not the player’s poor performance, the anger shifts to Kerr and the player is in the clear (well, most of the time) …
So, when you think he’s terrible because the team is bad, he’s actually doing his job because he’s distracting you from focusing on the players. And that means he’s doing a really good job…
Also, he’s coaching the Warriors as long as Stephen Curry wants him to, as has been the case since Curry launched to superstardom when Kerr took over and the Warriors won the 2015 NBA championship. You remember that, the first of four titles Kerr has won as head coach, which brings him up to nine overall…
So don’t think of it as a coincidence that Kerr’s contract lasts as long as Curry’s does. There’s a real chance they both retire after two more seasons and then you complaining about a Hall of Fame coach is going to look even more dumb than it already does…
If you want to really complain about something, go after the people who invented a “flat croissant” and thought it was a good enough idea to sell…
Or a Pop Tart. Just as bad as a flat croissant. Steve Kerr is an excellent coach and an even better human being.
The back-up quarterback ALWAYS looks better on the bench until the back-up quarterback plays. And, then you realize why the back-up quarterback is the back-up quarterback.
Steve Kerr is one of the best coaches in NBA history. Sad, the Warriors' fans fail to acknowledge that the back-up quarterback is the back-up quarterback for a reason and that Steve Kerr is a future Hall of Fame coach. Tortured metaphor but the point is clear.
Guess I missed the flat croissant...thankfully...
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