Warriors coach Steve Kerr is still undefeated in Western Conference playoff series since taking over in 2015.
Now Golden State is one win away from extinguishing a talented and tough Sacramento Kings squad in the first round after Wednesday’s 123-116 road win. Anthony Slater of The Athletic joined 95.7 The Game’s “The Morning Roast” on Thursday to give his thoughts on Steve Kerr’s coaching job in the series so far.
“We talk so much about this core and what they’ve proven over this dynasty run – what they are, what their DNA is in these playoff moments,” Slater told hosts Bonta Hill and Joe Shasky. “Group Steve Kerr into that. What is he about to be if they finish this off – 19-0 in Western Conference playoff series? And Draymond Green brings this up at times, how he has trust in this coaching staff to solve a series. By the middle of the series, figure out exactly what’s needed, what works, go into that gameplan and sticking to it.”
The series has turned since Draymond Green was suspended in Game 3 and subsequently moved to a bench role in the past two games, as the Warriors have flipped an 0-2 deficit into a 3-2 lead. Kerr also caught some heat for resting Curry during a crucial third-quarter stretch in Game 1, but Steph has averaged more than 42 minutes in each of the past two contests.
“I thought Steve Kerr’s playoff run last year was maybe his best, in just the way he navigated those series,” Slater said. “This potentially can be the first example of that if this run keeps going. Because I do think he did not have a good early part of this series.”
It also helps to have a player like Kevon Looney going crazy on the boards and neutralizing Kings forward Domantas Sabonis.
“They’ve gotten to what makes them comfortable in a lot of ways that they’ve figured out the series,” Slater said. “He even had the quote postgame, like, ‘Look, we know if we rebound and we take care of the ball, we kinda solved the equation.’”
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