Since Steve Kerr called Game 6 of the Western Conference Finals, he turned his full attention to the Golden State Warriors. His first order of business is to bring in a quality coaching staff to help him adjust to the rigors of coaching in the NBA. Kerr will have plenty candidates to choose from, but it looks like he already has one European coach in mind.
With no prior coaching experience and a potent offensive roster, Kerr is looking to add some experienced and creative assistant coaches. According to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports, the Warriors are in talks with Maccabi Tel Aviv head coach, David Blatt:
Golden State Warriors coach Steve Kerr is pursuing a powerful coaching partnership with one of the world’s best offensive minds, Maccabi Tel Aviv coach David Blatt, league sources told Yahoo Sports.
Blatt’s hiring would be an immense coup for Kerr, who could lean on the European coaching icon to transform what had been an underachieving and uncreative offense under former coach Mark Jackson.
Blatt is engaged in talks to join Kerr’s staff as the top assistant coach, a move that Blatt had been reluctant to make in past years. Kerr and Blatt met on Thursday to discuss the job, league sources said.
If Blatt does decide to join Kerr’s coaching staff, then the Warriors offense should improve substantially next season. He has been regarded as one of the more creative and efficient coaches in Europe and has had plenty of opportunities to become an assistant coach in the NBA. Blatt hopes his time with the Warriors will lead to an opportunity to become a head coach in the NBA, which is what he wanted originally.
Under Mark Jackson last season, the Warriors were 10th in the league scoring. With Steph Curry and Klay Thompson at Blatt’s disposal, the Warriors offense could be very potent next season. Blatt’s impact in Golden State could be just what the Warriors need to take their game to the next level.