All the changes to the Warriors roster will make training camp “critical,” coach Steve Kerr told Anthony Slater of The Athletic. While in recent years the Warriors have only made tweaks to their scheme, this training camp will involve sorting out the rotation and finding the team’s strengths.
“This year, it’s totally different,” Kerr said. “Nobody really knows each other that well. We’re really going to have to examine our team in camp, the exhibition season, early in the season. Figure out the best way to play on both ends.”
Kerr sees the need to take more control of the offense.
“When you lose continuity, it’s more important to have sets and calls that you can rely on,” he said. “Random stuff gets more difficult if you don’t know each other well.”
We have more from the Western Conference:
- Sixth man Lou Williams was the Clippers’ closer the last couple of seasons, but the additions of superstars Kawhi Leonard and Paul George change that dynamic, as coach Doc Rivers explained to Jovan Buha of The Athletic. “Lou is always going to be a closer, but it’s more closing plays now than who the closer is,” Rivers said. “You know who the closers are. The fact that that’s plural is a very good thing. Now it’ll be the closing lineups, the closing sets, the closing formations.”
- Pelicans forward Nicolo Melli has returned to the court after undergoing offseason knee surgery, Will Guillory of The Athletic tweets. Melli skipped the FIBA World Cup due to the injury. The 28-year-old signed a two-year, $8MM contract in July after playing professionally in Europe for over a decade.
- The Mavericks have prioritized continuity on their roster, Brad Townsend of the Dallas Morning News notes. More than half of the players on the training camp roster have played at least half a season for Dallas, Townsend notes. The Mavs have also invested $320MM in guaranteed contracts over the next four seasons, Townsend adds.
Melli is on the Pelicans, not the Grizzlies
Who’s gonna be the Clippers new coach in 2020-21?
Ballmer loves Doc. There won’t be a new coach, even if they don’t win the title.
Ballmer’s a smart man. You stand behind your current coach.
He’s also a smart man. He’ll get rid of Rivers if he thinks he can find a better coach for his team.
The clippers gave the warriors all they could handle this past post season and I think left them exhausted for later rounds. Doc is a good coach.
I disagree that Doc is a good coach. He’s been coaching for years and years and years and was handed a championship in Boston. Nobody would have screwed that one up.
He’s had outstanding teams in LA and couldn’t get out of the first round, second round !!
Chris Paul Blake Griffin DeAndre Jordan? That should have been at least one or two Conference Finals. And don’t forget Orlando.. Doc did squat in Orlando.
He’s good with the Press he’s a good PR guy he knows to how to tell jokes and one liners but I don’t know if he’s a good coach.
George, you deserve 100 up-votes for that spot-on comment.
Don Nelson who is considered a good if not great coach and won how many championships?
Judging by championships is a ridiculous way to judge.
When people debate the best player of all-time and someone mentions Russell, what’s their first argument for him? Yes, you just said it… 11 rings.
Clearly, championships aren’t a ridiculous barometer in rating (or overating) someone’s greatness.
NaterGator who’s judging by championships? I’m judging by getting out of the first round in the playoffs with an All-Star team.
Exactly…. he loves his investment more than he loves Doc.
Kerr actually has to coach this year and earn a paycheck.
While still a year or so away from true contention, the Mavs overachieve this year and grab the 8th spot!
So the spurs don’t make it ? I guess I could see the Mavs in instead of the Spurs.