Transcript below. Heads up that NBC Sports Bay Area’s socials cut out the beginning of the question was cut out from the clip for some annoying reason so that why the question is seems like it’s missing a part lol
> **Q:** Is that something you enjoy or you wish the college coaches were still doing that for you?
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>**Steve’s answer:** I wish the college coaches would keep doing it for us. Yeah, it’s just easier if you get players who are ready for all of this. Players are more skilled than ever. Every guy look at can dribble and shoot. But what’s lacking is footwork, recognition of patterns, teamwork, because there’s been less of a foundation built. And so while the skill level is super high, you know, we’ve got to try to bring these guys along and help them build a foundational base and also play them and also win at the same time. And so I talk to other coaches about it all the time. We’re all dealing with the same thing.
Kerr is spot on here about how the coaching landscape has completely changed. It hasn’t always been this way, far from it. I think this dynamic has a played a big part in the increasing toxicity of the dynamic/view of a portion of fans, particularly younger fans I feel who’s either entry to NBA fandom/draw is via these younger players and so tracking their progression is the avenue with which they experience fandom.
Because of what Steve describes, today’s younger players may have slower trajectories than younger players in the past and some fans jump to immediately condemning coaches and faulting them for it (I mean I’ve seen some Spurs fans ripping Pop and calling for him to be fired lol), while completely ignoring or losing sight of the fact that it’s a process. But more importantly, a process that isn’t necessarily going to be a team’s no. 1 priority above all (particularly for a team like the Warriors who are actually trying to win at the same time). It’s an extremely difficult balance to strike and I do not envy these coaches having to find and maintain that balance.
by taygads
4 Comments
That’s the problem with one-and-done and to a large extent the AAU system that doesn’t prioritize the fundamentals. College coaches of the brand name teams don’t prioritize those things since players up and leave for the NBA instead of staying till their junior or senior year. Meanwhile the AAU is all about being as selfish as possible. I think the same problem exists in soccer as the club teams are all that matters.
> I think this dynamic has a played a big part in the increasing toxicity of the dynamic/view of a portion of fans, particularly younger fans I feel who’s either entry to NBA fandom/draw is via these younger players and so tracking their progression is the avenue with which they experience fandom.
You just described most of the “fans” in this sub. Dudes who get disappointed when vets like Klay, Looney, or Wiggins play because it takes away from the anime arc of development they expect their favorite young guy to go through. When the fact of the matter is that we’re highly likely to be a lottery team is any one of Steph, Klay, or Dray retired tomorrow.
All of this is 100% facts. Our roster involves an unprecedented mix of a group of young players who don’t have much foundational experience, and a bunch of old vets who have seen it all. Only guys in their prime currently are GP2 and Wiggs.
Idk if this situation has happened before in NBA history, where a bunch of seasoned vets who have won championships had to mentor a group of talented youngsters, while trying to actively compete for a chip at the same time. It’s not an easy thing to do. Youngsters can’t recognise patterns and execute plays quickly in the same way that vets do because they don’t have the necessary reps and training. So when u put them out there with the vets, you’re basically throwing them into the fire and expecting them to perform.
So I don’t blame Kerr for making mistakes in the process of trying to figure out what works and what doesn’t. The roster construction is probably the biggest culprit here, if they were really trying to go all in for a chip, they would have surrounded Steph/Klay/Dray with reliable vets. (Also, Steph/Klay/Dray aren’t the same as they were 5 years ago. They’re still good, but as they age, they need better pieces around them to win a chip)
Why is he overplaying them though? Development takes time. Rookies don’t need 30 minutes a night on a team like the warriors.