SAN FRANCISCO — Performing head coach Mike Brown regarded instantly into the cameras and supplied Steve Kerr a plea after the Warriors’ win Monday in Recreation 4 of the Western Convention semifinals.
“Steve, if you happen to’re watching, get wholesome fast,” he stated with a smile.
For six years Brown has been by Kerr’s aspect as an assistant coach, so leaping into his footwear when the Warriors head coach examined optimistic for COVID-19 hours earlier than tipoff final Monday wasn’t an enormous leap.
However Kerr’s absence has been felt. The Warriors have performed sloppy whereas he’s been away and outright embarrassed themselves in a Recreation 5 alternative to clinch this collection in opposition to the Memphis Grizzlies.
“It’s positively totally different,” Kevon Looney stated after shootaround on Friday, hours earlier than Recreation 6 at Chase Heart. “However, you realize, he’s accomplished an ideal job of creating the tradition and the sport plan. Mike Brown and the remainder of the teaching workers is an extension of him. We miss him, however it nonetheless appears like he’s right here.”
Although Kerr’s absence doesn’t go away anybody on the Warriors’ teaching workers unprepared — they’re all on the identical web page — his management and decision-making have been a significant lacking piece because the Warriors navigate new challenges on this collection.
Brown additionally has loads of expertise leaping into the playoff teaching seat. He went 11-0 filling in as head coach in the course of the 2017 playoffs when Kerr handled issues following again surgical procedure. However issues are totally different this time, Brown says. Throughout shootaround and practices as a defensive coordinator, Brown is normally not concerned within the offense portion of follow.
“Previous to this 12 months, I did each. I helped with the protection and offense, so I floated,” Brown stated. “So I had a greater really feel for what we had been doing offensively. These final two video games I’ve discovered loads of what we’re actually making an attempt to give attention to offensively. That’s the most important factor, having a crash course on that aspect of the ground.”
Kerr, quarantined at house, remains to be digitally very concerned within the teaching selections and assist. He participates in coaches’ conferences on videoconference and texts gamers individually. Brown says he and Kerr speak 3 times a day.
Looney added that playoff veterans Steph Curry and Draymond Inexperienced have been crucial in maintaining a number of the youthful gamers new to the postseason pressures mentally and technically ready. Brown stated after Recreation 4 that Andre Iguodala, a Finals MVP who has missed the complete collection with a neck damage, has offered invaluable teaching voice from the sideline.
“We've loads of coaches and an ideal workers,” Looney stated. “We all know what it takes to win so we simply must go on the market and execute.”
Kerr might be able to return to teach Monday for a possible Recreation 7 if testing knowledge exhibits he's not contagious.
“He’s not at risk or something, he doesn’t really feel one hundred pc nice,” common supervisor Bob Myers stated on 95.7 The Recreation on Tuesday. “He’s nice, like lots of people. I believe it’s quite a bit safer to get it now with all of the vaccinations, however hopefully we get him again quickly.”
Kerr’s management may assist with the Warriors’ newest problem — recreation planning for a Memphis crew with out Ja Morant. On his podcast after Recreation 5, Inexperienced stated they've to begin from scratch on a recreation plan as a result of Memphis performs a totally totally different model with out their celebrity guard as the first focus.
With Steven Adams seeing extra minutes, Memphis is clogging the paint and giving Golden State’s offense matches by sharing the ball to constant scorers like Desmond Bane. Mitigating turnovers and accumulating offensive rebounds like they've in earlier video games this collection must also restrict the Grizzlies’ sturdy transition offense.
Late on this collection, the Warriors must make just a few changes with out Kerr to lean on.