Golden Gates Greater than Big Apple: Kerr Stays on West Coast

It seemed like a done deal. New York Knicks hired Phil Jackson to rite the ship and start to rebuild the New York Knicks franchise then Jackson would hire Steve Kerr, TNT analyst and former player for Jackson with the Chicago Bulls. It didn't happen. Kerr decided to coach Golden State and their wealth of young talent to the tune of five years and 25 million dollars. While many people were stunned Kerr spurned his former coach, there are many reasons why Golden State was the optimal position for the first time coach.

Kerr is a virtual unknown to coaching an NBA team. Granted, Kerr was a long-time General Manager of Phoenix Suns which he did without any experience. This is not his first rodeo. Kerr expressed multiple times publicly how he wanted to coach in the NBA someday and now he gets his chance with Golden State. The team is rich with talent as the Warriors have won 50 plus games in the past two years including two great guards although the pressure to win might be greater at Golden State than New York. In fact, it might be harder.

Golden State fired a coach for winning 50 plus games and not making it to the Western Conference Finals. That's a lot on your plate if you are Kerr to begin with. Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson are two great options to start the team, but after that, Golden State has more uncertainty than many people believe to be the case. Andrew Bogut cannot remain healthy, and the Warriors have his albatross contract for the next three years. Andre Igoudala underwhelmed for most of the season. Not to mention, Draymond Green is a free agent and will demand a pretty healthy contract.  Warriors have a great deal of issues, but my assumption is all of these issues at Golden State outweighed the problems with New York.

We don't need to cover all of the problems with the Knicks because it is two paragraphs deep including whether Carmelo Anthony will be on this basketball team in the Fall.  Kerr also seems to have a pretty good relationship with Joe Lacob, the majority owner of the Warriors versus the likely non-existent relationship he would have with James Dolan. Having Jackson in your front office can only go so far for Kerr plus who knows maybe he feared Phil would mettle in personnel decisions. Further, he didn't want to hear people say when the Knicks had success, 'Oh well Kerr is just a puppet, this is all Phil's doing anyways.' I couldn't stand that if I were Kerr so I don't blame him for staying on the West Coast.

Here's the one thing though we need to consider about Kerr. The Eastern Conference is terribly easy. If the Knicks patch work a couple things here and there, they could be a top three seed in the Eastern Conference next season. After Miami, there is a pure drop-off comparable to a roller coaster at Six Flags Great America. Kerr could have consistently put the Knicks in the top four, and people would assumed him to be king if he got the Knicks far enough. Yet that's the one alluring thing versus several in Golden State. Kerr will have to work for it in a tough Pacific division featuring the Clippers, rising Suns, Sacramento is not that far away and Lakers will be back to form in a year or two.

The hire is a nice one on paper and in the media, but he is still a new coach. There will be bumps in the road, but Kerr seems like the type of guy to handle it.

Charlie.