Kerr says Warriors are reimagining how they play
"We're trying create more space, more consistent cutting, more consistent pattern."
LAIE, Hawaii (KGO) -- Steve Kerr said he seriously considered stepping away from coaching before deciding to return to the Golden State Warriors, ultimately concluding after discussions with team leadership and family members that continuing with the organization was the right move.
In an interview with ABC7 Eyewitness News sports anchor Larry Beil about his decision, Kerr said no single moment convinced him to return after the season ended.
"I don't know if it was one moment it was probably one day you know we needed a couple of weeks when the season ended to just kind of get away and breathe and you know I talked to my wife and Joe and Mike and Kirk you know they had to talk to each other and we had to sort everything out and it just had to feel right for everybody," Kerr said. "I think after a couple weeks It felt right for me, and it felt right for them, so on that day, it was like, we're back. Let's keep it going."
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Kerr also pushed back on the notion that the Warriors are simply bringing back the same team. He noted that the club performed well during stretches when Jimmy Butler was healthy and said the coaching staff has examined areas where the team fell short.
"I didn't think that we executed very well," Kerr said. "We lost five or six games early in the season before the injuries that we should have won. So as a staff, we have to look in the mirror and say, why did that happen? How can we be better?"
A key part of that process, Kerr said, involves "reimagining" the team's approach on both ends of the floor. He said the Warriors are shifting toward a more modern five-out style of basketball and altering practice routines and teaching methods.
"We're reimagining the way we practice, the way we're teaching, what we're teaching," Kerr said. "The schemes are a little bit different. The practice sessions are a little bit differently."
Among the team's priorities is reducing turnovers, an issue Kerr said the organization plans to address by simplifying decision-making and creating more consistent spacing and movement on offense.
"We're trying create more space, more consistent cutting, more consistent patterns so that they're seeing the same things over and over again," Kerr said. "And we're working on the fundamentals that go with that."
The interview concluded with Kerr discussing Stephen Curry's decision to accept less money in his contract extension, which Kerr said reflected the superstar's desire to help the team's long-term competitiveness.
"It was like barely even a negotiation," Kerr said. "That's Steph Curry. To who he is, he loves his team. He loves winning. He wants to keep this thing going. So it didn't surprise anybody, but we also shouldn't let his sacrifice go unnoticed."
