As expected, the Warriors have gone after Steve Kerr.
Also as expected, they’ve contacted Stan Van Gundy.
Marc Spears of Yahoo Sports:
The Warriors have contacted former NBA head coach Stan Van Gundy about their head coach opening, a source told Yahoo. No interview set yet.
— Marc J. Spears (@MarcJSpears) May 8, 2014
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Stan Van Gundy was on the Amani and Eytan show on NBC Sports Radio on Wednesday night sounding interested, as much as any coach says so publicly.
“I’m certainly willing to talk to, listen to, and I think from there you decide if both parties are interested in going further. It’s hard to say you’re interested until you sit down with people and I certainly have not done that with them....
“I think there are some positives with Golden State. As you say the talent level is there. Of the jobs that are open now they are clearly the most talented team out there. No. 2 you have a great, great fan base there, one of the best in the NBA . Number three, and I grew up there so I can speak to it, there aren’t many better places to live in the United States than the Bay Area in California. There are some positives and they are going to have a lot of people interested. I think it’s a matter of fit, that’s key in coaching jobs. It’s not going to work if there is not some common ground on philosophy.”
The search could take weeks, according to Sam Amick of USA Today. That should give Golden State time to pursue the third of its previously reported preferences, Fred Hoiberg.
After firing Mark Jackson, the Warriors need a strong replacement to win the trust of a locker room that supported Jackson. I think Van Gundy could be that coach.
He took the Magic to the NBA Finals, building a tough defense and efficient offense. The Warriors definitely need a coach who better takes advantage of their offensive strengths, something Van Gundy has shown he can do.
Van Gundy’s personality can also be grating over time, but that’s something to worry about down the road. Golden State needs a good coach now, and in that regard at least, Van Gundy fits the bill.
