Jun 16, 2015; Cleveland, OH, USA; Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr talks with his team during the second quarter of game six of the NBA Finals against the Cleveland Cavaliers at Quicken Loans Arena. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports
Warriors Basketball Season (2014-2015): As we say goodbye to last season and congrats to our Wildcats in the Warriors organization, we question the possibility to repeat as NBA Champs and more.
This article is our ZonaZealots roundtable discussion, I wanted to ask our writers their opinions on this past season and the upcoming season. The four ZonaZealots writers, Shereen Rayan, Miguel Gonzalez, Brad Malone and myself have answered lingering questions on this season and the Warriors chances for next season!
Let’s start with Rookie head coach Steve Kerr. Steve Kerr became the second rookie head coach to win the NBA Championship behind Pat Riley. What will he do next? You be the judge!
Next: Steve Kerr
Jun 16, 2015; Cleveland, OH, USA; Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr talks to the media after beating the Cleveland Cavaliers in game six of the NBA Finals at Quicken Loans Arena. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports
1. How many more Championships will Steve Kerr win in his coaching career? Will he surpass Coach Pop?
Shereen:
It’s going to be very hard to surpass his former Coach Pop and Coach Jackson, but I think he has the skills to work with NBA players with ego’s, so I think he has at least a couple more with this team, and you never know how long he will be coaching.
Miguel:
I think he realistically can win 2-3 more. But I don’t see him passing Pop unless he gets a team like Pop has.
Brad:
It’s going to be very difficult for Steve Kerr to top Coach Pop’s head coaching ring count. Kerr will be the first to tell you how hard it is to go through a grueling two month playoff run every season. I’m also not convinced he will do this head coaching gig as long as Pop. If the Warriors can keep making trips to the Finals in the near future, a healthier King James squad could be waiting for him year after year.
Ryan:
Honestly I was thinking about this question ever since the Warriors took home the chip. Winning a championship as a rookie head coach is a true accomplishment in itself. He could have a long tenure as Coach Pop if he solidify’s the splash brothers as two franchise players.
Iguodala might as well be considered in that mix among the Warriors big three. But who knows. as the West is getting better and better it might be tough uphill battle to make it past the first round next year.
Next: The IGnitor
Jun 16, 2015; Cleveland, OH, USA; Golden State Warriors guard Andre Iguodala (9) talks to the media after winning the NBA Finals MVP after game six of the NBA Finals at Quicken Loans Arena. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports
2. Andre Iguodala became the first player in NBA History to become the Final MVP without starting in a single regular season game. Does he deserve a starting position on the Warrior? Will he continue to give offense and defense off the bench?
Shereen:
I think it will depend on what the team looks like next year, could be a different make up..and I think that maybe Coach Kerr might shake up the line up from time to time depending on the opponent.
Miguel:
Yes he deserves a starting role. He proved that he can make an immediate impact. But he’s a type of player who will put up 100% no matter what.
Brad:
Iguodala coming off the bench should continue next year. Playoff basketball is a much different animal compared to the regular season. Kerr made a decision based on three games. Iguodala coming off the bench was part of a perfect recipe that helped turn out 67 regular season wins. You won’t do much better than that in a 82-game stretch unless Michael Jordan is leading your squad.
Ryan:
If Coach Kerr could keep the team in tact then I believe Iguodala does deserve a starting role. Last season under Coach Steve Jackson, Iguadola was in the starting rotation but it did not fan out as they were knocked out in the second round by the 2014 Champions San Antonio Spurs. Totally up to Coach Kerr and Finals MVP Iguodala on weather or not he will return to the bench or be in the starting rotation.
Next: The real MVP
Jun 19, 2015; Oakland, CA, USA; Golden State Warriors guard Andre Iguodala (9) puts his hands in the air during the Golden State Warriors 2015 championship celebration at the Henry J. Kaiser Convention Center. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports
3. Do you think the Warriors would have come back in the series without inserting Iguodala in the starting lineup?
Shereen:
No, I think it was a battle between Kerr and Blatt/James, so I think you had to keep shaking up the line-up to keep the other guessing, Kerr guessed correctly and Blatt went small and it didn’t work for him.
The key here is that Andre came back into the starting line-up, but all season Barnes had gotten better by playing, and that helped in the finals..Andre is a seasoned veteran much like Barbosa, so Kerr needed to get his bench to be better so that in the finals he would have many options. The CAVs played a 7-man rotation, know winning championships with that strategy.
Miguel:
No, I don’t think they would. They looked lost and over matched.
Brad:
Chances are if Iguodala continued to come off the bench, the Warriors would have probably still won the series. By the end of the sixth game you could tell the Cavs were physically and emotionally spent.
Ryan:
The Warriors had the best record in the NBA along with the best home record. I do believe that if Coach Kerr did not insert him into the starting lineup they would have still prevailed against Cleveland and LeBron James. Iguodala would have come off the bench and still would have been affective in slowing down, “the greatest player on the planet”, LeBron James.
Next: Rookie Head Coach
Jun 19, 2015; Oakland, CA, USA; Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr waves to fans during the Golden State Warriors 2015 championship celebration in downtown Oakland. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-USA TODAY Sports
4. If Steve Kerr was not hired as the head coach of the Warriors this season would they have been able to make to the NBA Finals and win the Championship?
Shereen:
I think they would have made the finals, but I don’t think they would have won. Kerr and his assistant coaches could relate to the players in a way the former coaching staff couldn’t. Luke is young, he was playing 2 years ago, that must have helped. Kerr has had so many different roles in basketball, so he gets all the angles. And maybe having a religious team of players helped as well, they hang together at church according to Iguodala.
Miguel:
Tough to say. It all depends on who they would have hired. I think they could have been one of the better teams, but Kerr had a good mix of defense and offensive strategy.
Brad:
This is a tricky and dangerous question. Mark Jackson did great things for the Warriors, but the front office was not a big fan of him. If he had stayed another year I think it would have gotten potentially messy because of a constant sports 24-hour news cycle, with a front office that didn’t want him there. Kerr’s team had regular season success on a historic scale, not to mention bring home a basketball title to the Bay area for the first time in 40 years. I would like to think he made a difference, but my Bear Down bias may be doing some of the talking.
Ryan:
I wouldn’t say that Steve Kerr was the reason for the Warriors success this season per say because Mark Jackson was doing great before he was relieved from the head coaching position. Coach Kerr did bring a different swagger into the locker room which made the Warriors team susceptible to him.
Next: McKale Center
Jun 16, 2015; Cleveland, OH, USA; Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr reacts prior to game six of the NBA Finals against the Cleveland Cavaliers at Quicken Loans Arena. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-USA TODAY Sports
5. What kinds of reception will Steve Kerr receive once he visits McKale Center with his Championship along with the other fellow Wildcats in the Warriors organization?
Shereen:
He will continue to receive the grand reception he always gets and always will get.
Miguel:
Standing, loud, long, ovation!
Brad:
Fans always love seeing former Wildcats come home to watch a game at McKale. I’m sure Steve Kerr, Bruce Fraser, Luke Walton and Andre Iguodala will get a little extra love the next time they come to the Old Pueblo to watch the Cats.
Ryan:
Mckale Center will give Coach Kerr and fellow Arizona Wildcats a standing ovation in appreciation of this great feat. I will try to be in attendance once Kerr returns to Tucson to watch our basketball team get over the hump and bring back home a national title.
Next: Inspiring Arizona Alumni
Jun 14, 2015; Oakland, CA, USA; Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr and assistant coach Luke Walton reacts to a call during the second quarter against the Cleveland Cavaliers in game five of the NBA Finals at Oracle Arena. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports
6. How will Steve Kerr and other Wildcat Alumni inspire those Arizona Wildcats entering the NBA and the future of Wildcat basketball?
Shereen:
The will come back to the University of Arizona for games, they will visit locker rooms when the Wildcats are in the town they live as they do when the Wildcats visit USC and UCLA, you always see NBA players and coaches in the stands. Remember when Jason Terry came back for the retirement of his Jersey? That had a huge impression on the team.
Also, more importantly, their success is contagious, and when you see former Wildcats in the NBA as successful, you feel it’s possible for you as well.
Miguel:
I think they’ll inspire future Wildcats by showing them hard work pays off. Too often we see these highly recruited kids have big egos. Miller is good at weeding those guys out. Add Kerr and other alumni to come in and talk, they can talk to them man to man about what it takes.
Brad:
These Warrior Wildcats have set the bar high for the Sean Miller Era players in the NBA today. Can’t wait to see where the careers of Derrick Williams, Aaron Gordon, Nick Johnson, Stanley Johnson, Rondae Hollis-Jefferson and other Wildcats take them in the association. Something tells me this won’t be the last time some Wildcats win an NBA title.
Ryan:
For the future Arizona Wildcats playing basketball this will be something to strive for in the future. It will be interesting how Sean Miller and his new squad will take this. An NBA Championship by a rookie head coach will leave a long-lasting impression on those who walk into McKale Center.
Next: What's next for the seasons Arizona Wildcat Basketball team?