Witnessing the double-talk, dishonesty, hypocrisy and goal-post moving around Kerr's coaching since 2015 has really been the most unerring microcosm of what's wrong with how we talk about hoops.
It seems a distant memory now when folks were saying Steph wasn't a real PG, that the Warriors system (you know the one that Kerr created) turned him from a glorified 3-pt shooter into a superstar, that turned Draymond into an All-Star where he otherwise would be riding the bench on every other team - the most overrated player that had seemingly existed.
Two players who'll go down as one of the greatest duos to ever pick up a Spalding; two players that anchored one of the greatest dynasties of all-time.
And yet, it was the system that folks said was responsible for their rise and standing in the game. Verbiage that was never uttered with other all-time greats. Nobody dares to disrepect MJ, Kobe, Shaq etc by framing their careers and accomplishments because of Phil and The Triangle. Nobody dares to disrespect Duncan by saying he'd be 'Cherokee Parks with a cabana' if he wasn't coached by Pop.
Yet folks have disrespected Steph and Dray, and all that the Warriors players have accomplished because of this inexplicable system. Even KD wasn't absent from this disrespect, where cats would say that he could only win because of the Warriors system.
You'd think the coach who was responsible for creating this environment for a dynasty to happen with footnote of players would be held in the highest esteem.
But it was the complete opposite.
It was Kerr ain't coaching shyt - which turned from a meme into an actual delusion that folks convinced themselves of.
Folks simultaneously tried desperately to take all credit away from Steph, Dray and Klay, while also taking credit away from Kerr, as if nobody had been responsible for their success, as it was just some blur in NBA history that didn't exist. Something that everyone tried to erase from their memory, because they didn't want to be faced with the reality they had been wrong all this time, which they'd inevitably had to deal with if they admitted that to themselves.
Anything and everything since which could be perceived as Kerr being at fault, no matter if he was responsible or not, or even if there was even fault to begin with, it didn't matter. Confirmation bias kicked in, and if the Warriors stumbled because of recruiting, player development, rotations, lineups, health, wins/losses - it was somehow Kerr's fault. Everything was manipulated with Kerr being at the center of all the blame, as if he single-handedly dragged everything down more than any one person possibly could. As if he was held to this impossible standard that no coach has been held to before. It didn't matter if he'd won 4x championships as a coach - it was all because he was carried by his players (after already admitting that the players were carried by the system).
And look, Kerr isn't infallible, he makes mistakes, but so does every coach that has ever held a clipboard in the league. But why is there this grand focus on the seemingly bad of a decorated coach and not the respect and benefit of doubt that other all-time great coaches get?
Did MJ, Kobe and Shaq carry Phil, and Phill didn't coach shyt? Did Duncan carry Pop and Pop didn't coach shyt? Every coach that has had extensive success, winning multiple titles, have they not coached shyt because they had all-time great players to carry them? If not, then why Kerr? I mean, Steph is just a glorified 3-pt shooter, right? Draymond is just 'Brandon Bass with a backpack', right?
Then Kerr was to blame for not playing James Wiseman, yet we've since come to know that Wiseman couldn't crack the rotation of one of the worst teams in the league and ended up being released by them. Kerr was to blame for not developing Wiseman, despite the fact that head coaches don't develop players in that sense - every single franchise has development coaches that specialize in these areas. In fact, the Warriors had the late Dejan Milojevic that tried to develop Wiseman; the same cat that was the mentor and largely responsible for developing 3x MVP Nikola Jokic. He spent hours and hours with him, yet not even he could turn Wiseman into something. But it was Kerr to blame because he didn't give him minutes and it was Kerr to blame because he didn't develop him.
Here the Warriors were trying to extend their window as contenders, yet Kerr was forced into breaking in this bum ass big man rookie who didn't fit their style of play and was still too wet behind the ears to take their time on whilst still contending. Then he was blamed for not giving Kuminga, Moody etc more minutes (despite them not playing consistent enough to earn more minutes), despite the fact that no other coach in the league who is expected to put a championship-contender on the floor has to jump through all these hoops by developing all these young players at the same time, dealing with the non-linear struggles of their play as if they're some rebuilding team where they can take their time because they're not actively trying to win.
All this focus on what Kerr was supposedly doing wrong, yet not the entire fault of the front office for putting their head coach in a situation to run two timelines, when no other coach in the league is remotely asked to do the same thing. All this focus on what Kerr was supposedly doing wrong, depite the fact that Steph, Dray and Klay are at the backend of their careers and can no longer be effective as a collective like they were nearly a decade ago.
It's as if if the Warriors didn't win a championship during a season, Kerr was to blame. It couldn't possibly be any other factors that were involved. If it was another factor (e.g. like Klay shooting badly), then Kerr was to blame for that.
Which is why I'm not in the least bit surprised it had all come to ahead during these Olympics:
It had seemed like nobody wanted to discuss the actual performance of Team USA in their quest for gold, but focus on why Kerr wasn't playing Tatum, and ridiculing him because of it, using it as yet another confirmation of bias to illustrate his coaching, lack thereof. It blinded them to the fact that Kerr was NOT solely responsible for not playing Tatum, or any other decisions like rotations, lineups, DNPs etc, and that it is the collective effort of the coaching staff (which has almost always been the case during Olympics campaigns).
A coaching staff that contains some of the best minds in basketball - Spo, Lue and Crew.
It was made known before the exhibition games that Spo would help lead the offense, and Lue the defense. They worked collectively to set up a gameplan, where they'd all make sure they were all on the same page over how the lineups would work, the rotations and what assignments and roles players would have. It wasn't just Kerr who made these decisions. It'd be irresponsible of all involved to not use all the brainpower that was available.
Of course, folks didn't have the attention span to even consider this because they were intent on blaming Kerr for whatever they could.
And that's where Kerr's reputation felt the wrath of Tatum not getting the minutes that folks thought he rightfully deserved.
Minutes on a squad that is quite arguably the deepest 12-man squad that has ever been assembled, meaning there's going to be player who inevitably misses out and doesn't get the minutes that some might believe they should. And yet lo and behold, whenever Tatum got minutes, he did nothing to move the needle or show that he somehow deserved to get more minutes at the expense of others who performed better.
Not a single jumpshot.
Why would a coach continue to play someone like this whose jumpshot has been broke since the start of the NBA playoffs? Why would a coach continue to play someone who couldn't break out of the extensive slump they were in, when they have some of the best players in the world to carry the load? Was he supposed to just play Tatum more and more in hopes he'd break out of that slump at the sacrifice of winning gold? When has that EVER been the objective of Team USA?
Kerr and the coaching staff got it right not giving Tatum more of a role beyond what his current capabilities are. It doesn't take away from the fact that he's still an All-NBA caliber of player, it just meant it wasn't the place nor time to give him a regular spot in the rotation at the expense of trying to win.
Now, just imagine if Kerr gave him the role and minutes that everyone wanted Tatum to have and it ended up costing the team a gold medal? Everyone would then in turn blame Kerr for playing Tatum, after just blaming him for not playing Tatum.
It really speaks to the contradictory, mendacious and obstinate nature of NBA discourse. Nobody is really wanting to be objective or reasonable or look beneath the surface, and there's no greater example of this than Kerr. He's been an effigy for what folks think has become wrong with the game that they grew up watching, even an effigy for those who just want to complain about the game, period.
