Kerr reveals roles for new Warriors assistants Stotts, Stackhouse originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
Though Steve Kerr has been the Warriors’ coach for a decade, his staff has experienced constant turnover.
This offseason, Golden State hired two new assistant coaches to support Kerr on the bench — former Portland Trail Blazers coach Terry Stotts and former NBA player Jerry Stackhouse.
As Kerr revealed to Anthony Slater of The Athletic, Stotts and Stackhouse will have specific roles on the Warriors’ staff. Stotts will focus on providing structure to Golden State’s offense, while Stackhouse’s duty will revolve more around the defense, alongside fellow assistant Chris DeMarco.
Stotts, who boasts a background of 14 years as an NBA head coach and a Finals victory as an assistant for the Dallas Mavericks, brings plenty of experience to the Warriors’ bench. Stotts said he won’t do too much to adjust the Warriors’ current offense around Steph Curry and Draymond Green, but will look to add more of a precise system that could help the team’s young talent.
“Steve loves read and react. I think that’s the best way to play. But at the same time, you can put in a framework,” Stotts told The Athletic. “What I like to have is — you can have a play call, but within that play call, you don’t know what’s going to happen. You might have splits or flares or pindowns or pick-and-roll and that freedom within a structure.”
Not only was Stotts attractive for his in-game tactics, but his personality also played a big role in his hiring, according to Slater’s report.
On the other hand, Stackhouse — a two-time NBA All-Star — caught Kerr’s eye largely due to his playing experience.
“We’ve missed having a former player the last couple years,” Kerr explained to The Athletic. “I love that he’s been a head coach at Vandy for five years. He’s not only a former player, he’s a former All-Star. He commands respect.”
As the head coach at Vanderbilt for the last five years, Stackhouse also brings in a background of mentoring young players. That could prove especially valuable for a Warriors squad teeming with youthful potential.
Golden State had a rough start to the 2023-24 NBA season on the defensive end, but the group finished strong on that side of the ball. As Stackhouse joins the coaching staff, he will look to capitalize on that positive momentum in that area.
So, while the Warriors are becoming increasingly reliant on their more inexperienced pieces heading into the post-Klay Thompson era, the organization is making a concerted effort to offset that with veteran coaches that excel in certain areas.
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