That's not proven to be the "right decision". Neither main objective has been reached.
The Dubs are under .500 AND most of the "two timeline" young guys haven't got the playing time they needed to develop. JK is the only exception.
All the guys who've received playing time over Moody and Wiseman have provided more impact. That has been the right decision. They'd have an even worse record right now and be in a worse state if they continued to prioritize developing those two over trying to win. There isn't a championship team in the modern era where a coach was forced to develop as many young guys as Kerr has had to. It hasn't happened for a reason.
You just like Kerr more than me and take the time to build a case for him. I could write a book on his mistakes of action or inaction, if I wanted to.
It's not about me liking anyone.
I hold everyone accountable exactly as it reflects the reality of the situation. I think it's patently ridiculous to keep blaming Kerr for shyt he's either i) not responsible for ii) trivial matters that don't speak to the bigger picture iii) mistakes that every single coach in the league makes. No coach in the league is perfect; no coach in the league is without their own faults. It's just funny to me how a coach who's won four titles in eight years seems to get criticized as if he's never won anything, as if he constantly needs to proves himself. He did the improbable turning a makeshift roster into NBA champions last season:
- Steph, Klay and Dray didn't even play one minute together prior to the playoffs (both Dray and Klay were in reduced physical states)
- they only had one legitimate big man in the rotation, who'd be lucky to crack the rotation of any other playoff team
- had fringe NBA talent and injury-prone players being integral parts of the system
- turned a widely-considered bust who didn't know how to play winning-basketball into the best version of himself.
If you could write a book on his mistakes and/or inactions, I could write a library worth of material of how he doesn't get the credit he deserves, that any other coach in the league and prior would be heralded as one of the GOATs.
Now, that doesn't mean he's without his foibles, but they're either inconsequential or they're only the perspective of someone who's choosing to find faults that aren't really there. I notice how you keep on drawing back to blaming him after every loss, when you know cotdamn well that he's not the one ultimately responsible for why they're losing. If that were the case they wouldn't have had the success they've had, unless you believe it's all a mirage and he's done absolutely nothing to create the environment/culture that has led to them dominating over the last near-decade.
Curry was clearly sick tonight and was hurting the team. Kerr should have gave him the night off, or very limited minutes.
Let me get this straight:
You wanted Kerr to bench Klay
You wanted Kerr to give Steph the night off (after he just had a game off or give him "very limited minutes".
All the while contesting with Wiggins, whom for whatever reason has been playing like trash since he returned (hence why he ended up on the bench for most of the 4th). And then I'd imagine if Poole had another poor performance, you'd want Kerr to bench him too. Who would that leave?
Is Kerr supposed to just bench every key player whenever they're playing poorly until nobody is left in the rotation? When has this ever been a recipe for success with this squad? When has being this volatile around rotations ever rewarded them at the business end of each season?
Are the Dubs underperforming or overperforming this year? How is a head coach's performance measured?
A head coach who's led this team to four titles in eight years should be judged differently to a coach who's yet to prove himself. Y'all were questioning Kerr last season and look what happened. He even exceeded my expectations given I didn't think this team was talented enough to win last year. They're underperforming thus far for an infinite number of reasons, all of which have little to do with Kerr's coaching (or lack thereof).
They're a squad with a core who're coming to the end of their expiration date, who aren't going to get up for regular season games like they did back in 2015. Not only because they know what it takes to pace themselves, but because they're not young anymore. They wasted a #2 pick on a bum instead of acquiring adequate depth to maximize their closing window. They overpriced a #30 pick whose style of play and disposition doesn't fit the team. They're still running with only one legitimate big, who would be riding the bench on most other playoff teams. They wasted a number of lottery picks on players who aren't ready to contribute in any meaningful manner. They've had to contend with Klay having a mental block during the offseason where he couldn't train. They've had to contend with Dray's body breaking down. They've had to contend with Steph suffering another injury. They've had to contend with a front office who've tried to force this two timelines bullshyt. They've had to contend with a front office that refuses to sign the appropriate personnel.
The list goes on.
Kerr's coaching doesn't even register as a problem.
The biggest indictment I've seen in this thread is that he should be benching
x-player or
y-player, most of whom have ended up redeeming themselves (in Klay's case), or they've been better than their replacements (Lamb, Donte, JMG, Jerome). Is Kerr relying too much on one player to generate offense? No. Is he unnecessarily playing players beyond their abilities? No. Is he holding players back from their true potential that would benefit the team? No.
What exactly is he guilty of that hasn't worked over the last decade? What is he doing, or not doing, that's holding this team back?
The thing with coaching in the NBA is, there comes a point where groups essentially run by themselves. They don't need telling what to do, or they don't need developing, or they don't need coaching up on a system etc. They've been through enough where the onus is on them. It's how those Duncan-led Spurs teams ended up running. It's how the MJ-led Bulls teams ended up running. It's how the Magic-led Lakers teams ended up running.
I think this is where folks simultaneously underrate and overrate coaching in the league. They find things that reinforce their preconceptions about a coach and stick to them, rather than taking a step back and judging the situation as it is.
You think the new starting lineup that no one asked for is a good decision too?
They're experimenting to see what works best (it's help to alleviate Looney's workload while keeping Poole in with the starters). They did this last season. The coaching staff believe it is necessary to find the right formula in time for the playoffs. If it doesn't work, then they'll tinker with it and try something new.
They've noticed how Poole plays better when he's alongside Steph and Dray, and not so well when he has to be the lead guy. You've even mentioned this yourself, saying you don't see him as a main ball-handler, well, this is a way to address that issue. He plays a lot more in control when he's not tasked with trying to create offense for a lineup.
Would you rather them go back to Poole on the bench, where he's the main source of offense in the lineups he's in, and then complain about how they shouldn't have him in that role?
Nothing wrong with throwing some criticism Kerr's way. He is the head coach.
Everyone should be criticized with whatever crime they commit. The problem I've noticed is that you make up crimes to convict him with, which he's rarely ever guilty of, and if he does, it deserves no more than a brief mention, and not one where he seems like you want him to be buried under the proverbial.
Of course, Kerr is gonna have his favorites. They're the guys who know how to win. They've proven it, time and time and time and time again. They've proven to work it out themselves on what they should do to rectify the situation. That's how this team has managed to be as successful as they've been. Benching these players when they haven't got it going, or they're in a rut, is myopic, and it would only hinder the same process that they've had in place every season since 2014.
