OAKLAND — A low key Warriors practice ended Wednesday on the fifth floor of the Oakland Marriott. Walking with a sense of urgency, a flock of assistant coaches headed for the elevators. Lunch was on their minds after a late night win over the Utah Jazz in Game 1 of the Western Conference semifinals.
Willie Green, Bruce ‘Q’ Fraser, and Nick U’Ren were flanked by a guest with credentials. MVP credentials.
Warriors consultant Steve Nash is in town this week and his presence around the team has sparked a thought or two about an increased role for the future.
Contemplating what’s next for Steve Kerr’s health is a task nobody wants to think about, but it’s currently a reality. The entire Bay Area is feeling blue over the pain he’s trying to cope with — the entire NBA for that matter. This man has instilled so much positivity and joy through his words and basketball coaching. What he’s going through is aching the hearts of many.
Smart organizations like the Warriors have dozens of contingency plans already mapped out for any situation you can think of. I’d bet Bob Myers already has all of his free agency targets lined up for 2020, let alone this offseason. I’d bet Myers and Joe Lacob have had a conversation (or several) about how this organization could survive the devastation of losing Kerr from the sidelines.
I’d bet Nash’s name is starting to seem like a realistic backup plan.
Option A: Kerr returns back to normal this postseason or at the start of next year. This is the expectation.
Option B: Kerr decides to take next year off from coaching and the team gives the interim label to Mike Brown.
Option C: Kerr announces he’s coming back for one final season in 2017-18.
Option D: Kerr decides to slide into a front office role with Myers and together the two pick their new head coach. Luke Walton’s already setup shop in Los Angeles. Bringing back Alvin Gentry would seem odd three seasons later. Lacob could decide to promote Ron Adams or Fraser. Green and U’Ren probably need a little more seasoning before taking over major decisions. Names like Jeff Van Gundy or Shaka Smart don’t make sense to me at all. The Warriors don’t want to alter their identity much.
If the players have any input on a major decision, something they did in luring Kevin Durant, there are reasons to believe Nash would be their choice. It might even get to the point where the entire squad converges on The Hamptons to recruit Nash. It was actually a phone call from the longtime Suns point guard to Durant that helped turn the tide in the process, according to an SI profile piece from Lee Jenkins. Here’s an excerpt.
But several Golden State coaches and executives also acknowledge the everlasting assist of yet another legendary floor general. “Without Steve Nash,” one says, “I’m not sure if we get Kevin Durant.”
Always gracious, Brown gave credit to Nash for being a different set of eye balls and knowing player tendencies around the league. Ian Clark told reporters Nash suggested he work on strengthening his core, which has helped him land with greater balance after shot attempts. The 43-year-old’s a basketball expert and just because he hasn’t come up with big picture strategies or lineup rotations before doesn’t mean he couldn’t make the jump. Kerr did the very same back in 2014, plus Nash already has familiarity with this roster and organization.
“Steve and I have a great relationship from our time together in Phoenix while I was general manager,” Kerr said back in Sept. of 2015. “And we share a lot of beliefs about how the game should be played and about the work ethic that goes in to being great. I can’t wait to work with him again and have him around our team.”
The Warriors want Nash but he may not want the Warriors. It would take some major convincing from Jerry West to Nash’s family. After an 18-year NBA career, he’s enjoying time with his three young children and his wife Lilla is pregnant with the couple’s first child. Not to mention the other off the court ventures he’d have to put on hold, like managing the Canadian Olympic basketball team and producing movies. Nash has repeatedly said he liked the arrangement of offering his opinion occasionally. Coaching 82 games plus a postseason is demanding — clearly. Last February the great Marc Stein reported Nash wasn’t interested in the Phoenix Suns job either.
Opinions can change over time, though. What once was certain can be swayed. The expertise and personal approach Nash brings to the table is who the Warriors are. The fit would be seamless.
If it reaches the point of Kerr walking away, circumstances will be incomparable. Collecting a roster as talented as Durant, Steph Curry, Draymond Green and Klay Thompson could take another 20 years for an NBA team to pull off. Nash never won a title as an NBA player and the lure of guiding the Warriors into history books could be tempting. Championship windows aren’t open forever.
The key here is whether Lacob will be making the final call. If he is, I’d bet he’d lean toward Nash over Brown. Lacob likes flash and Nash would add it.
Any contingency plan about the Warriors future should include Nash’s name. Even if it would take moving mountains to lock him into a contract, this option has to be considered.