OAKLAND – Steve Kerr walked into the Oracle Arena interview room late Friday afternoon ahead of schedule, something Luke Walton rarely, if ever did.
That alone answers the question of whether he’s anxious to get back to coaching the Warriors for the first time this season.
“I’ve got some butterflies,” Kerr said roughly two hours before the Warriors tipped off to face the Indiana Pacers. “It feels like the first game of the season, which it is for me. Fortunately, our team is in a pretty good groove. Hopefully, we can keep going and keep playing the way we have the last couple outings.”
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[POOLE: Draymond: Warriors will lose Walton 'if any GMs are smart']
The Warriors are coming off their most impressive wins of the season, routing the Cavaliers by 34 in Cleveland on Monday and goring the Bulls by 31 in Chicago on Wednesday.
That, though, was with interim coach Walton at the helm. He led the team to a 39-4 record through 43 games – two games ahead of the pace the Warriors set last season when Kerr was a rookie coach.
“I really felt at the beginning of this year and then over the summer, I thought we’d be better this year,” Kerr said. “Just because, in general, with a new staff and new offense, it takes a full year to really grasp it and get to the next level, where it becomes second nature."
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Kerr also singled out each member of the coaching staff, citing how much they’ve contributed to one of the best starts in NBA history.
[RATTO: Walton did sensational job for someone who was never there]
He expects – hopes? – to keep the Warriors on their current track, which is a second consecutive season with the best record in the league.
“I’ve been with the staff most of the season, behind the scenes, plotting and scheming and doing our thing,” he said. “I won’t expect much to change now.”
As for his health, Kerr says his back is fine and has been fine for a while. The prolonged absence was more a matter of other complications, notably headaches and sleeplessness and other physical challenges.