SAN FRANCISCO — Late in Steve Kerr’s 30-minute exit interview Tuesday afternoon, Draymond Green’s pregame mentions made reference to Jordan Poole three times.
“To be fair, you asked about the incident,” Kerr said. “I just didn’t pick it up.”
Partially true. Kerr at least initially nodded in that direction, first questioning the Warriors’ decline in chemistry during this now lost season. But he didn’t let the topic steer him in a vague direction. He directly raised his fist.
“Some of that (chemistry) is definitely gone this year,” Kerr said. “There is no hiding. The incident with Draymond and Jordan earlier in the year played a role. It’s very difficult for that not to influence the team… It makes the process more difficult when some trust is lost and some trust is lost. That’s as clear as I can make it.”
During the press conference, Kerr remained silent as he addressed various major issues of the Warriors and current issues from a candid lens. Let’s run through several, but let’s start with the green and its punch scores.
An outsider clearly thinks that the cold hour of the green to end his 11-year career with the Warriors is terrible. He has a $27.6 million player option for next season and the ability to explore the open market for potential suitors. The Warriors will have ways to get out of the contract even if he picks up the pick.
But neither side seems willing to split. Green continues to maintain that he wants to return and the Warriors (reportedly) intend to discuss a multi-year extension with him.
“Look, if Draymond doesn’t come back, we’re not a championship contender,” Kerr said. “We know. He’s important to winning and to who we are. I absolutely want him back. He is competitive. He’s an incredible defensive player.”
But the punch and the benefits…
“He and I have developed a really special relationship that has carried over the years,” Kerr said. “We’ve had our fair share of runs. But we’ve been through a lot. We really care for each other and work well together. He knows he had a good season this year from a basketball standpoint. But he knows he messed things up with what happened in October.
“So part of him coming back next year is about rebuilding some of the trust and respect he’s had here for so long. One thing I love about Draymond is that he’s always brutally honest, and he can take that kind of criticism because he knows it’s true. I want him back. I think we all want him back. We hope so.
That turns the conversation directly to Poole and his future with the Warriors. A four-year, $123 million extension that kicks in next season, paying more than the Warriors’ salary and tax bill of $400 million that Joe Lacob previously had not touched.
Poole, because of the playoffs and Green’s tricky internal dynamics, profiles as the most obvious candidate for a move, either for a roster overhaul (Lacob green lights of spiked bill) or a salary dump (if that’s an ownership requirement). But that’s not the queer part. If Poole comes back, he has to train him. If he is training, he needs to support him.
“I called it one of the six fundamentals at the end of last year,” Kerr said. “I still believe. It’s important to remember, Jordan has done some good things this year. He had a tough final game but averaged 20 points for us. It’s hard to average 20 points in the NBA. He helped us win a lot of games. He helped us win the championship a year ago. He would be the first to admit it wasn’t his best season. But that’s how these things go. That’s how the career goes.
The future of queerness will come into sharper focus next year. He has just one more season left on his deal. That’s typically when established coaches go looking for an extension, which offers the professional stability that comes with success. But extension talks between Kerr and the Warriors have yet to take place.
“Our organization has a lot to sort out this summer,” Kerr said. “My contract situation is not at the top of the list, and it shouldn’t be. Right now, Bob (Myers)’s contract situation is number one because it affects a lot of player decisions, contracts, the draft, free agency.” Whenever this happens we go to my stuff and I’m not in a rush for that. “
Kerr will travel to San Diego for some summer decompression but will return to coaching in August, where he will coach Team USA to the World Championship in the Philippines. That competition will be drawn in early September. When he returns, he will jump straight into training camp with the Warriors.
“I love coaching,” Kerr said. “I love coaching these players. I love training the fighters. They love living in the sea. But I’m also in the NBA and all you have to do is look at your phone every day and see the next Hall of Fame coach that gets fired. It’s crazy. I’ve never seen the league like this.”
Mike Budenholzer, Nick Nurse, Monty Williams and Doc Rivers were all fired this cycle.
“I don’t think I have a lifetime career here or anything like that,” Kerr said. But I love what I do, and I hope to coach here for a long time. But you never know how things will turn out. So we’ll see.
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In conducting an autopsy on where this season went wrong, Kerr brought up a different statistic that has become a topic of behind-the-scenes discussion in recent days.
“We can’t be No. 1 in rushing and No. 29 in transition efficiency,” Kerr said. “This will not work. This should be emphasized,” he said.
Kerr blamed shot selection and a propensity for wild turnovers as factors in that terrible transition efficiency. Then something bad happened.
“You look at the Lakers series,” Kerr said. “The two games we’ve won, we’ve done a good job defensively. The four games we’ve lost, we’ve played like crazy on offense. That’s right there. There’s some things we need to improve on.” But that’s me as the head coach next year to get our staff and all the players locked in on X, Y and Z. This is where we make improvements. We have to set up our systems and do some drilling to make the various improvements we need to make.
Jonathan Kumiga had a hugely encouraging second season of basketball. After the All-Star break, he averaged 13.2 points, boosted his defensive ability, guarded several star scorers and became a versatile option in the rotation scheme. He shot 37 percent from 3 and pressured him at the rim, which is an understatement on a small roster that lacks superior athleticism.
But Kuminga was missing from the game and was left feeling rotten on the bench. Why did Ker leave him?
“The big thing is (Andrew Wiggins) and Gary (Payton II) being in place again, JK’s strength has lessened the need now, which is ball defense,” Kerr said. “The best way for Jonathan – and I told him this – the best way for him to get more playing time is to become a more versatile player.”
Kerr has likened Kuminga’s ability to Shawn Marion in the past: Kuminga’s quick route to big impact is believed to be an aggressive, multi-position defender who gets back at high speed.
“I look at every combination we put out there as a puzzle,” Kerr said. “The puzzle must fit. The more you can do, the easier it is to fit in with five people. Rehab is a big thing for JK. If he’s going to be a great player in this league, he needs to play back. A four-man with that kind of size and athleticism, this is the next step, and continuing to work on all the things he’s already been working on, shooting and ball handling and court vision, understanding what’s going on on the floor. Everything will be better because he is so young and willing to work.
The third season is often a leap season for promising young players. That was Poole’s big label. Does Kerr believe it belongs to Kumga?
“Yes. I will,” Kerr said. “I think people really focus on the game because that’s the most important time of the year. But if you look at Jonathan’s regular season, he did some good things. I always tell her, 15 years ago. He has such a long career ahead of him. He has a lot of talent and is in the process of learning the NBA game.
The Warriors stumbled to a 3-7 start and are 15-18 through 33 games. There are several factors that lead to that struggle. But one of the common reasons for grumbling in the first six weeks is Klay Thompson’s declining early season form.
He didn’t play basketball last summer, entered camp out of shape, didn’t start until the last preseason game, and shot it pretty well until December. Thompson finally found a rhythm and had the best two scoring months of his career, finishing the regular season leading the NBA in 3s made.
But it’s clear that the Warriors want and expect Thompson to come into camp to make sure he doesn’t miss the first month of next season. Green mentioned that he, Thompson and Stephen Curry had that exact conversation on the plane back from Los Angeles. Kerr noted Tuesday when asked about Thompson.
“The biggest thing for Clay is to have a good season,” Kerr said. “At 34, 33, I think, with two major injuries behind him, this is the time to be more prepared than ever for the first training camp, not only dealing with the injuries physically, but the strength and conditioning department, everything, but as you get older you have to improve and you can improve. Realizing that there are places. You can’t rely on the same things you can rely on at 28 and 27.
(Photo of Draymond Green and Steve Kerr: Harry How / Getty Images)
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