The hot season has begun for NBA coaches, and Dub Nation sure enjoyed its opening night.
There was Los Angeles Lakers star Anthony Davis, after Los Angeles’ loss to the Denver Nuggets on Tuesday night, grabbing the mic and taking a transparent shot at head coach Darvin Ham.
“We have times where we just don’t know what we’re doing on both ends of the floor,” Davis said, knowing how the comment would be interpreted.
After enduring several firestorms of criticism this season, Ham fired back Wednesday, saying he would “agree to disagree on that.”
When trouble hits the Lakers, Warriors fans grab the popcorn and find a comfy seat — not only for the feuds down south, but also because of the relative serenity in the Bay Area.
Not once this season — or any other season — has one of Golden State’s key veterans hinted at his disapproval of coach Steve Kerr. NBA history teaches us that grumpy veterans are the surest sign of discontent.
Stephen Curry didn’t go there because it’s not in his nature to sow the seeds of controversy and, also, he sincerely believes Kerr is the right coach. Klay Thompson, even in his darkest moments, didn’t criticize Kerr out of respect for all that was accomplished under the coach.
And Draymond Green, you say? He is, after all, the warrior most likely to engage in friction. While battling his personal crises as the Warriors endured a season of unwanted wrinkles, he had ample opportunity to go after Kerr.
No. On the contrary, Green continues to faithfully support Kerr.
A vocal segment of fans spent the season blasting Kerr. Outside observers, including the media, have questioned some of Kerr’s decisions. There were times when Warriors CEO Joe Lacob, sitting courtside, just couldn’t hide his displeasure with the product he was seeing.
And yet Lacob, whose ears are open to veterans, presented Kerr with a lucrative two-year contract extension in February.
“It’s a lot of money,” Green said at the time. “I think it’s amazing. I wouldn’t want to end my time here with another coach. What he means to this franchise, what he’s done for us as players, the way he’s brought here, you can’t replace that.
“I am very happy for Steve and his family. He got what he deserved.”
Golden State reached the NBA Finals in each of Kerr’s first five seasons, three of which ended in a championship. The last successful season was punctuated by a victory in the final in 2022.
Frankly, the last five seasons have been much more of a slog than an escape. The Warriors have missed the NBA playoffs three times, two of which were reasonably understandable. The third season, this season, was in many ways the most difficult of all for Kerr and for the team.
Yes, even tougher than the 2018-19 NBA season, which faced obvious headwinds after a very public feud between Kevin Durant and Green punctured the team’s legendary chemistry.
The Warriors have turned victory into defeat too often this season. They broke down too often in the fourth quarter. Draymond’s temper tantrums derailed any chances to gain momentum. Worst of all was the sudden and tragic death of assistant coach Dejan “Deki” Milojević.
Kerr has rightly criticized his work on several occasions this season. That should be worth something. He still has two years left, not to prove his worth, but to get the most out of the veterans while preparing for the next phase.
The closest Kerr came to a public complaint occurred at the end of the 2018-19 season. After the Warriors were kicked out of Oracle Arena by the Boston Celtics, Kerr urged for more passion, anger and intensity.
When this was reported to Durant, he seemed perplexed.
“I thought we left happily,” he said without emotion. “Now, anger? I don’t agree with this.
Durant later told me his response wasn’t meant to pick on Kerr, adding that everyone needs to be better. He left the Warriors four months later, not because of a breakup with Kerr but to play with his good friend Kyrie Irving.
And now Durant’s coach in Phoenix, Frank Vogel, who was fired by the Lakers in 2022 after winning a championship in 2020, is under fire again. It is widely believed that he will be jettisoned if the Suns are eliminated in the first round.
We’re talking about Joe Mazzulla in Boston, Billy Donovan in Chicago, Monty Williams in Detroit. Even about Los Angeles Clippers coach Tyronn Lue.
Although Milwaukee Bucks coach Doc Rivers is widely believed to return, largely because of his contract, his midseason hiring came after protests from one veteran. Giannis Antetokounmpo quickly became disillusioned with first-year coach Adrian Griffin, who lasted only three months.
Ham’s fate with the Lakers largely rests on the opinions of Davis and, of course, LeBron James. The same veterans who won everything under Vogel in Los Angeles.
Likewise, Kerr’s fate with the Warriors is primarily tied to Curry. There’s safety in that, because Steph isn’t the type to allow herself to point fingers in public or even tacitly disapprove. He is too focused on finding solutions behind the scenes.
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