The Warriors have enjoyed resounding success since Steve Kerr became their head coach prior to the 2014-15 NBA season, but it hasn’t all been roses.
There have been struggles, too, and with Golden State back in the NBA Finals for the first time since 2019, his star forward Draymond Green reflected on how Kerr’s coaching style has evolved over the years.
“He’s continued to grow,” Green told reporters after practice on Wednesday ahead of Thursday’s Game 6 against the Boston Celtics. “I think the number one change I've seen in Steve is his trust in his coaching staff, I think that's continued to grow. And not that he didn't always trust his coaching staff because he has and it's always been an open-door policy since the day he's walked in here, but on a day-to-day basis, you can just see how he's delegated.
Stay in the game with the latest updates on your beloved Bay Area and California sports teams! Sign up here for our All Access Daily newsletter.
“The way he uses Mike Brown, the way he uses Kenny Atkinson, the way he uses Deckie [DeJan Milojevic], the way he uses Jama [Mahlalela] and CD [Chris DeMarco] and Jacob Rubin, and it's so on down the line.”
Golden State has won three NBA titles under Kerr, who turned to coaching and succeeded Mark Jackson as the Warriors’ coach after serving as an analyst for TNT. In his first season, Golden State went 67-15 and won more than 60 games for the first time in franchise history.
On the flip side, just five seasons later, Kerr and the three-time champion Warriors entered uncharted waters when they finished with a 15-50 record -- the worst in the NBA -- before the league shut down due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The way Green sees it, Kerr’s experience through the tough times has allowed him to learn how to lean on those around him a little bit more these days.
“I think that is the growth and understanding, like, man, I am only as strong as this group that I have standing next to me, and the way that they built that group out, I think has been absolutely amazing,” Green said. “I think it's been a huge part to our run and I think one of my favorite things that he brings to the table, he's a guy that knows what he doesn't know.
“That's one of the best traits you can possess in this world, is being smart enough to know what you don't know and Steve is absolutely incredible at that. He leans on those guys for their strengths. I think that's huge.”
Brown joined Kerr’s staff in 2016, while Atkinson was a new addition prior to this season. Both will be gone next season, however, as Brown was selected as the new head coach of the Sacramento Kings and Atkinson will take the helm as head coach of the Charlotte Hornets.
They certainly will be missed, because as Green pointed out, their insight has been invaluable to Kerr. But the Warriors coach has evolved on his own, too, into a calm and collected force of confidence and reason on the sideline -- huge traits for a coach who frequently finds himself in high-pressure situations.
Golden State Warriors
Find the latest Golden State Warriors news, highlights, analysis and more with NBC Sports Bay Area and California.
RELATED: Kerr's funny reason for winning so many championship rings
“And his confidence in knowing we'll figure this out and we'll go make some adjustments and we're going to put you in the best position that we can to be successful, and just never being rattled,” Green added. “There are times where we get a little rattled as a team, and he's just right there, steady force, like hey, man, just calm down, settle down. And it wasn't always like that.
“It wasn't always where you never, ever see him rattled. He's just in these moments, that gives us so much confidence, when you walk in the huddle and when you walk into a team meeting and when you walk on the bus and he's just carrying himself with the confidence that he has, you feel invincible. That's a huge thing in our growth … you have coaches that give players confidence and you have coaches that don't, and I think he has really grown in that area where he just gives guys confidence and that's huge.”
The Warriors will need all the confidence they can get as they look to win their fourth NBA title under Kerr on Thursday night at TD Garden.
And no matter what happens, it’s clear that Kerr will use the outcome to grow for next season.