If Klay Thompson ends up getting that big extension before the Oct. 31 deadline, he should consider giving a portion of it to new Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr, whose opened-up crime has been generating only quality looks for the shooting guard throughout the preseason.
Thompson can keep most of the cash; the vast majority of his advancement has to do with killer confidence and a perfect release. We can not charge Kerr for all those things.
What’s happening with Thompson is a symptom of a bigger change in Golden State–one that is giving rise to the hope that last year’s 51-win campaign was just the start.
B/R’s Howard Beck chronicled the issues with former head coach Mark Jackson’s plan of attack:”The crime too frequently stalled and stagnated, resulting in muddled isolation plays and contested jumpers. There was little movement or dynamism, and small awareness of cohesion.”
Already among the league’s top defensive outfits (the Warriors ranked third in defensive efficiency last year), Kerr’s club is moving the ball superbly on offense. Andrew Bogut and David Lee, great passers both, are now hubs of the attack, and Stephen Curry, Andre Iguodala et al. are feasting on cuts, flares and brush screens.
All this, and Kerr has only had a few months to set up the basics of his admittedly complex scheme.
If Golden State gets past the turnovers that hurt it last year and continued to crop up throughout the preseason, it’s the group with the best opportunity to take one of the West’s best three places from the Oklahoma City Thunder, the Los Angeles Clippers or even San Antonio Spurs.
If this happens, Thompson will not be alone in owing a debt to Kerr. Fans across the Bay Area will be there with him.
Read more: mvcstcharles.com
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