Steve Kerr on Klay, Podziemski, Melton, Kuminga, and new coaches Stotts and Stackhouse
On the TK Show, with a couple of transcribed excerpts
Tim Kawakami continues his run with a recent interview with Steve Kerr released Monday.
Tim and Warriors coach Steve Kerr discuss Kerr's busy summer, from coaching Team USA to a tense gold-medal victory -- and watching Stephen Curry save the day -- to Kerr's speech at the Democratic National Convention. Also, how the Warriors will adjust to losing Klay Thompson.
Here is the link along with a couple of transcribed parts.
The new-look team
Do you feel this team fits better maybe than it did in the last few seasons? Do you feel like you have kind of more versatility with the pieces you have?
I don't know about more versatility. I just think we have more depth and more good players, more high level two way players. You know, these new guys have all played in the playoffs. I think the ability to connect the game, which is always something we have to do for Steph, right, if we're going to utilize him on and off ball, we got to have connectors. We got to have guys who can make shots. We got to have guys who can pass. And the guys we added are all excellent players. So you throw three brand new guys into the mix who are really in their primes. It's exciting.
And I think we have a chance to be really good. I think we were good last year. You said it. Forty six wins usually gets you a five or six seat. The West is loaded and it's going to even be better with Memphis getting their guys back this year. So who knows? But I just know I like our team a lot and I'm excited about our options in terms of putting the team together because we we have a lot of talent, but we have we have a void to to fill with Klay being gone. But that has to be looked at from a positive light. We have players who can fill that void, but we can also fill that void in different ways this this coming year. And I'm excited about that for our coaching staff and our team to figure out.
Klay Thompson
In retrospect, do you think, okay, there were signs during last season that Klay was ready for a new start, that maybe there wasn't a lot that you could do to change that?
Yeah, there were signs. I mean, obviously none of us knew what would happen. We all wanted him to stay. I wanted Klay to be a Warrior for life. Felt like the right thing. But you never really know what the right thing is for someone else. Only that person knows. And I think by the end of the year, I think Klay knew for his own sake that he wanted to leave. And I'm happy for him. I really think this will be a great move. He's gonna play for a great team with two high level creators. He should get a lot of wide open shots. I think sometimes a career change, a late career change can refresh and recharge you. I'm hoping Klay can move on from the injuries psychologically and emotionally, which I think he struggled to do here, frankly. So I think a fresh start is great for him.
I think it could be good for us. We're gonna, like I said, we're gonna have to fill the void that he's left. But as long as we attack it from a positive manner, hey, there's minutes there. And there's also an opportunity to maybe play a little bit differently, to do some different things, and to discover some things about our team. And I think those are all exciting factors that our fans will enjoy.
Who’s starting?
Brandin Podziemski got a lot of starts last season. Do you imagine he's the guy, the leading candidate to take that fifth starting spot?
I think that the exciting thing about this training camp, Tim, is that I can legitimately tell the guys that spots are available and mean it. Last year we started, at times we started small with Wiggins, JK and Draymond. Later in the season, we wanted more size, we started Trayce. I would say all those guys are in the mix for starting jobs. But so is Brandin, as you mentioned. But the combinations that we have to figure out will determine who starts. So this is not gonna be as simple as, hey, Brandin's gonna start because he was our next best guard off the bench last year, blah, blah, blah. It's gotta be which combinations work, what makes sense coming off the bench, and we'll have to figure that out the next few weeks.
D’Anthony Melton
D'Anthony Melton's a guy, you've mentioned him, the guys you've added. I've always liked him, obviously he's coming off a little injury. What do you like about him, how do you think he fits your roster, your style?
He's a two way player, which I love. The ability to connect multiple lineups, I think he brings that. He's a catch and shoot guy. So just watching him scrimmage this past week at Chase, our guys are playing pickup ball as they get ready for camp. I watched him knock down four straight threes in a scrimmage, but they were catch and shoot, no catch and hold. The game keeps going when he's out there. I saw him set a split screen and slip to the rim and get a layup off a pass from Kyle Anderson. It's like, we haven't even worked on that yet, right? But these guys know how we play, they have a good feel for the game. So I think both D'Anthony and Kyle are gonna be really good fits and I'm excited about them.
Jonathan Kuminga
I sat down with Jonathan Kuminga last week, really seemed calm and relaxed when I talked to him. Obviously, there's a lot, he's going into the fourth season. and hasn't quite established himself in the NBA, has had times when he has, really looked good. There's been times he's kind of been out of your rotation. But he mentioned something interesting. He said, "You know, I've learned," or he said something, you know, when I was growing up, "You don't fight with somebody if you don't like them." And he goes, "Not that Steve and I fight, "but he gets on me because he wants me to be better." Your relationship with Jonathan has been an evolution. Where is it now and where are you thinking he fits your roster?
We have a great relationship. I think JK, if you look at his three years here, I think it would look like the stock market over 10 years. You know, there's been some dips for sure. You know, moments where I sat him, didn't play him, took him out of the rotation. But from when he walked in here three years ago to now, he is dramatically better. And that's how this is supposed to go. You know, it doesn't, success and improvement is never linear at this level. But especially for someone with so little experience and you know, he's still so young. If this were 20 years ago, 30 years ago, he would have just finished his fourth year of college. This would be his rookie year in the NBA, you know?
So when you throw all that stuff in, I love where JK is right now because he's gotten so much better, but he still has room for growth, which is the exciting part. And so I've talked to him about this year, the upcoming year, what our expectations are, what I'm excited about. He's excited about it. He loves it here. He's told me that. I think the hardest part for him, he doesn't have the extension yet. And he's seen some of the guys in the same draft get extensions, but he understands the business. You know, he still has some things to prove and he's committed to going out and doing them. And I'm gonna help him every step and I'm excited about him.
You've said that the minutes are there if he's a small forward, right? You can play him at the four or the three. And in the past, you've said he's not a small forward yet. He said, "I'm a small forward," right? I mean, that's what you want to hear. Can you get him into that role? Can you see him playing there this season?
You know, again, you get back to lineup combinations. He's definitely a small forward if we've got a shooting five out on the floor, right? 'Cause then you, all the skill stuff that you want out of a three, attacking the rim, getting there. you got the spread floor. So, if we're playing Trayce and Draymond, I'm going to have a hard time playing JK at the three. But that's kind of what I'm talking about with camp. Like, let's see what happens with Kyle Anderson. Let's see what happens with a healthy Gary Payton. Hopefully there are more combinations that we can play this year where JK does play a little bit more three and that he shoots it well enough and quickly enough to force defenses to come out at him. But these are all areas where it'll unfold. We'll see these things as camp starts and we get into the season.
New coaches Terry Stotts and Jerry Stackhouse
What about your new coaching? Assistant coaches Terry Stotts, Jerry Stackhouse, two of the more major moves you made on staff for a while. What do you like about them?
Chemistry is going to be great. I love Terry. I've always enjoyed visiting with him. I didn't know him very well, but I always enjoyed watching his Portland teams. One of the reasons I went after him was because I loved Portland's motion and flow that they ran under Terry, but it was a little more structured and I'd like to see more of that structure for our team to make the game a little bit easier on some of our young guys. So, we're going to do some of the things that Terry will bring with him. He's also just an amazing guy. Going to be a guy I really enjoy just hanging with and having dinner with and talking politics and life. He's a wonderful human being.
Jerry, we've missed having a former player on our staff this past year or two. We needed a guy of Jerry's status and stature, not just a former player, but an all-star. Not just a former all-star, but a former head coach in college for five years. A guy who put in the work in Toronto as their head G League coach. Jerry's really sharp, really smart. So, he's got a lot of good ideas, good thoughts. He will join forces with our defensive side of the staff. Chris DiMarco, Ron Adams, Jacob Rubin. He will be a great addition to that side of the staff. He'll address the team. He'll be great one-on-one with players. He's going to bring some new ideas to us. We already played golf last week, which was fun. I love Jerry. He's really a good guy, but he carries a really strong approach and persona. I think the players will enjoy playing for him, and he'll be important for us.
There are two pretty similar lineups within the roster, if you go by play style, role, size. Let's call them A Team and B Team. (Maybe platoon them.) Each player on A team has a surprisingly similar B team equivalent. I think it's pretty similar right down the line, don't you?
There's even a C team but they don't really have the same roles and feel:
A Team B Team
1. Steph 1. Hield
2. Melton 2. Podz
3. Kuminga 3. Wiggins
4. Draymond 4. Slo Mo
5. Trayce 5. Post
C Team: 1. GPII 2. Moody 3. Waters 4. Gui 5. Looney
So much positive vibes articles starting to show up… let’s see how everybody is on the court.