The transition from Mark Jackson to Steve Kerr has gone relatively smooth. The Golden State Warriors are very optimistic about the coming years, especially with the head coach they wanted and a young nucleus of players. While Kerr has yet to fully make his presence felt in the Bay Area, Steph Curry admits that he is still not over the departure of Mark Jackson.
It was no secret that Curry was advocating for Jackson’s return to the team. The four year pro was very public about bringing Jackson back, which just comes to show how popular Jackson was amongst his own players. Curry admits that going from Jackson to Kerr will require an adjustment period according to Carl Steward of the San Jose Mercury News:
Curry, speaking after a team facility ceremony honoring him with the league’s prestigious Kia Community Assist Seasonlong Award, said he anticipates there will be an adjustment period to new coach Steve Kerr but that players will eventually get on board, even while harboring strong feelings toward their former coach.
Curry confessed he personally did not deal well with the sudden severing of ties with Jackson, especially after pleas to management that he be retained.
Jackson had taken the Warriors to two consecutive postseasons and Curry improved immensely under him. Curry is obviously still processing all the changes that have been going on within the organization, but he is a professional and has already spoken to Kerr numerous times. Curry and Jackson will continue to remain close, but he must also work on building a relationship with Kerr, which will be crucial to their on-court success.
With time, all is forgiven, but Kerr will have to focus on winning this team over. He’s coming in and taking over a roster with established chemistry, but must implement his own style of play and hope the players are on board. Curry is the leader of the team, so expect Kerr and Curry to be in constant communication moving forward.