Former Warriors assistant coach Darren Erman was wrong for secretly recording private conversations, and his punishment was appropriate. His motives can’t change that.
But what led him to do it in the first place?
Maybe it was how Golden State coach Mark Jackson fired Brian Scalabrine, at least partially banished Jerry West and treated Erman.
Zach Lowe of Grantland:Jackson made a show of firing Scalabrine in front of players and other coaches, but he had no real grounds, and the front office made Jackson find a compromise, per a source familiar with the matter: demoting Scalabrine to the D-League. In addition, Jackson has asked that Jerry West, a high-level adviser in Golden State, not attend most practices and team activities, sources say.
The tension with Erman got weird. Midseason, the team moved Erman’s parking spot to a less convenient place, likely at the behest of Jackson or one of Jackson’s allies on the staff, per multiple sources familiar with the matter. They began changing his duties in strange ways.
Jackson, via Sam Amick of USA Today:
“That’s a lie,” Jackson told USA TODAY Sports after the Clippers’ 113-103 Game 5 win Tuesday. “Come on. That’s a lie. That’s disrespectful.”
When asked directly if West — who joined the team when the group led by Joe Lacob took over ownership in the summer of 2010 — was welcome at his practices, Jackson said, “Absolutely. He has been at the practices. He’s there. That’s a flat-out lie.”
A person with knowledge of the situation confirmed that West has been at recent practices.
As Amick notes, that last sentence doesn’t contradict Lowe’s report, which allowed for Jackson tolerating West at some practices. Amick also reports:
Jackson, to his credit, seems to have most of his players behind him. The coach led the Warriors to their best season in years, and though they’re a game from it ending, that can be attributed as much to Andrew Bogut’s injury and facing an impressive Clippers team early as it can to anything Jackson has done wrong.
But aside from on the court and with his players – two areas that, admittedly, matter a great deal – Jackson’s program seems very wayward. His reported actions reek of insecurity, and the fact that these allegations are becoming public show Jackson has lost support of whomever is leaking the info.
The cracks are beginning to show in what might be Jackson’s crumbling, though successful, coaching stint with the Warriors.