- 6 minutes ago
Warriors head coach Steve Kerr joins Willard and Dibs to react to his team's wins in Denver and Minnesota, Yaxel Lendeborg's great start to his NBA career, and more.
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00:00It's time for Steve Kerr, brought to you by the Contra Costa County Library.
00:03Unlock free books, e-books, and family events with your Contra Costa County Library card.
00:08Visit ccclib.org today.
00:11And that also means he must not have huge bags under his eyes after being up really late.
00:16Go to YouTube and take a look for yourself.
00:19What time did you get home last night, Steve?
00:21Or this morning, I should say.
00:23I think I got to my house about 2 a.m., which isn't that bad, actually.
00:29I feel like if we're coming from somewhere and we get in at like 3 or later, it's brutal.
00:36You really feel that.
00:37But not that bad when you get in at 2 or so and, you know, get a little sleep and
00:42have the day off.
00:43I call that a Wednesday night, Steve.
00:44Am I right?
00:46Yeah.
00:47Yeah.
00:48Yeah.
00:49Yeah.
00:49He came in exhausted today.
00:51How late do you sleep on a day like that?
00:53Because I'm like, I can't.
00:55It's not college anymore, Steve.
00:57I can't sleep until noon.
00:58You know what I mean?
00:59Like, what is your day like after that?
01:01Yeah.
01:01I can't do that either.
01:02But I actually played golf today.
01:04So I got up at 8.30.
01:07So I slept like six hours or so and needed some fresh air after being in the gym and on
01:13the plane, you know, for about five straight days.
01:16So I went and played golf and kind of followed the Valkyries game, you know, from my phone and saw
01:23the score and got ready for game seven.
01:27Before we actually talk about the Valks, where did you play?
01:30What did you shoot?
01:31How many birdies?
01:32Oh, yeah.
01:33We're not going in.
01:34All right.
01:35All right.
01:35Not even how many birdies?
01:37Come on.
01:37How many birdies?
01:38I did make a couple.
01:39Okay.
01:40All right.
01:40Good.
01:41I made a couple doubles, too.
01:42So, yeah, just an average.
01:44We certainly want to get into what's been a wonderful week for you guys.
01:49But since you brought it up, the Valkyries, it struck me that Draymond even had said the other day, like,
01:55this is going to be the hardest game of their lives.
01:57What can you share with regard to what makes a closeout game different?
02:05Just the sense of desperation that the other team is playing with.
02:09And, you know, it's just a different level of intensity.
02:15And then there's a sense of, man, we're right on the cusp.
02:20We've got to finish this thing off.
02:23So there's some added pressure that comes with that.
02:26But there's no doubt that the closeout game is always the most difficult one.
02:31And then, you know, game sevens, what makes those special is that both teams, you know, have that desperation and
02:40that energy.
02:41And that's why so many of game sevens are rock fights.
02:45You know, they just everybody at that point, you know, you know what your opponent is doing.
02:51You've played them six times already.
02:53There's the pressure that comes with with the game seven itself.
02:57And it just turns into a street fight.
02:59And that's what I would expect for the Valkyries.
03:01So you start 0-3.
03:03It's not an elimination.
03:04It's not desperation.
03:05But did you sense a little extra urgency from your squad when you headed to Denver?
03:10Yeah, for sure.
03:11You know, that Memphis game was we had circled it on our calendar, you know, as being really important.
03:17I didn't say anything to the players, but looking at the schedule, we knew that was one we needed to
03:24get.
03:24And then to blow that 12-point lead in the last few minutes was just a gut punch.
03:30And then we go to Phoenix and, you know, we sit four different guys, lose that one.
03:37And you're staring at Denver and Minnesota.
03:40So there was a sense of desperation for us, for sure.
03:43And I thought we came out in Denver and really played well.
03:48And that game was a relief and a confidence builder.
03:52And that carried over to Minnesota.
03:53And now we feel like, all right, we're, you know, we're on track in the season.
03:58And we can kind of heave a sigh of relief.
04:02Steve, I wonder if superlatives for Steph Curry might bore you at this point in your career.
04:09But at the same time, I'll ask it this way.
04:13With what he did on this road trip, did not miss a shot in Denver, goes for over 40 points
04:18last night.
04:19To what level do you guys feel like this new normal and the way that you're managing it is off
04:27to the start that you hoped for?
04:31Well, I think that's really a question for Steph.
04:35I mean, he's the one who's had to alter his routine.
04:39It was, I don't think, easy for him to play fewer minutes in the preseason and train a little bit
04:46less and keep the wear and tear off his knees.
04:49So I do think the first couple of games were a little different for him.
04:54But, you know, these last two, it seems to me he's kind of gotten over the hump from a conditioning
05:01and rhythm standpoint and he's ready to go.
05:04So it's always just such a treat to watch him play night after night.
05:11I'm afraid we all take it a little bit for granted and we shouldn't because we're watching something special every
05:18single night.
05:18The expression or the question, does it ever get old, is foolish because, of course, it doesn't ever get old
05:24and it doesn't for us watching on TV.
05:25But you see another one of these in that spot where a lot of the eyes are on Yaxel.
05:31What were your thoughts last night when he went on another one of his Curry Flurries?
05:36I've seen it a million times.
05:39So it never surprises me.
05:41And but it always just brings a smile to my face.
05:46I mean, it's who doesn't like watching Steph play basketball and to see him, you know, with Rudy Gobert out
05:53there, who's one of the best defenders in the league, just, you know, bringing him into pick and rolls and
05:57pulling up from 35 feet.
05:59It's just astounding.
06:01It's just crazy to watch him.
06:03Steve Kerr with us as he is every week here with it and dibs 95-7 the game.
06:07Speaking of astounding, at what point did you maybe see this kind of a five-game start for Yaxel?
06:19We knew he was really good, you know, watching him in summer league, just the strength, but also the feel
06:24and the skill set.
06:25You could see that, you know, he was going to be our starting forward.
06:30There was no doubt about that.
06:33First preseason game, he only took a few shots in Hawaii against the Clippers.
06:39And we all kind of talked to him, like, you know, Steph, Dre, the coaches, like, hey, you got to
06:45be aggressive for us.
06:47And then all of a sudden, you know, a couple of preseason games where you see him attacking and scoring
06:52what he's capable of doing.
06:53And it's like, all right, this guy's a little different.
06:55And we are now in the point where, like, we're recognizing we got to build a big part of the
07:04offense around him.
07:05We're going to ask him to maybe fast track the maturity stage.
07:12You know, we – you saw last night he got himself in trouble.
07:16He had seven turnovers.
07:18And what I loved was he was despondent after the game.
07:22He was so disappointed in his performance.
07:24And I love that because, you know, he had 26 points and, you know, nine rebounds.
07:28And he actually, you know, did a lot of great things.
07:32So we're going to need him if we're going to be really good.
07:35We're going to need him to grow and mature more quickly than we would ask, you know, other rookies.
07:42But I think he's capable of it because at 24, he's seen a lot.
07:48He's played at a high level, obviously winning a national title at Michigan last year.
07:53And he's just got a really mature game.
07:56And now it's a matter of just figuring out the NBA, you know, understanding personnel,
08:01understanding the officiating, the rules, the tricks of the trade, and then recognizing time and score.
08:07You know, like we were in control of that game last night, up 16, no reason to, in transition,
08:14to try to drive through three guys and turn it over, you know, pull the ball back out.
08:19And so these are all things we're going to be trying to teach him here, you know, over the next
08:23couple of months.
08:24Beyond the turnovers, I'm looking at his three-point shot, which will emerge over time.
08:28But as part of the teaching moments right now, just knowing when to go ahead and settle for that three,
08:34as opposed to recycle the ball and get that same three-point shot 10 seconds later.
08:39Right, right.
08:40Denver, he settled early.
08:43He shot three or four threes, you know, in his first six-minute stretch coming off the pig and roll.
08:50And he had lots of space.
08:52But he kept launching and he was missing.
08:54And, you know, coaches are on the bench, you know, saying he's settling, he's settling.
08:59And we got him the ball in spots that he likes.
09:06And, you know, he got isolated and he started attacking.
09:11He ended up shooting, I think, 13 free throws, something like that.
09:16So he found his way in that game.
09:19But we want him to attack first and then shoot threes second.
09:22But he's going to find the balance for sure.
09:26He's got a lot of basketball intuition and feel.
09:31And he'll get there quickly.
09:33He's also so willing to talk after the game about what he didn't do well
09:37and what maybe the leaders on the team have said to him.
09:40How would you describe his coachability, Steve?
09:43Unbelievably coachable.
09:45He just, you know, looks you right in the eye and nods and absorbs it
09:49and might ask a follow-up question.
09:51He's constantly asking his teammates, you know, what he should be on the lookout for.
09:58So he's a guy who wants to get better and listens.
10:01And it's fun to see a guy that talented who's that willing to absorb new information
10:09and knowledge and try to apply it.
10:12It's very rare.
10:13I mean, he's – this kid is really – he's special.
10:17And we've got to help him get where he wants to go.
10:21That's our job as a staff and as a team to lead him in the right direction
10:25because he's got all the potential, you know, to be an all-star player in this league.
10:32How much do you marvel at his growth from a maturity standpoint
10:35to where when you talked to him the year before he came out
10:39to where now he is behaving and playing and acting the way he is?
10:43I didn't talk to him last year.
10:45You know, I think our guys interviewed him in Chicago at the pre-draft a year ago
10:49before he decided to go back to college.
10:52So the first time I met him was, you know, right before the draft
10:56when we had him in town for a workout and for dinner.
10:59And it's funny because he's really kind of a big kid, you know.
11:04He's really a fun-loving guy, doesn't take anything too seriously, including himself.
11:11And yet on the basketball court, he's kind of wise beyond his years.
11:16He just has a natural instinct for the game.
11:18And so it's a really fun combination.
11:20He's a great guy to coach.
11:22Steve, I wonder how you would describe the impact that he's having already
11:27in comparison to what Jimmy Butler did for you guys when he arrived.
11:34Well, I think the similarity is the brute strength
11:37and the ability to create a shot for himself or his teammates.
11:41So that's a unique skill set in the NBA.
11:45You pay top dollar for that skill set.
11:48So Jimmy, when he arrived, changed our team.
11:52We went from below 500 to, you know, a top five offense and defense in the NBA
11:58for his 30 games the year we traded for him.
12:02And we changed our style a little bit.
12:04You know, we slowed things down.
12:07We isolated him.
12:08We got him into spots and worked on our spacing.
12:11And so Yaxel is having a similar impact in that, you know,
12:16when Steph's not on the floor or is tired, we can go to Yaxel in isolation
12:22and he can create stuff for us.
12:24So he's really a big weapon for us.
12:28Back at it tomorrow with the Lakers in town.
12:30I think they still have Luka Doncic.
12:32I have to check the transaction wire to make sure.
12:35But have there been any additional conversations or, you know, bullet points
12:40or any different approaches that you might want him to take on the court
12:43or at the podium?
12:45Nope.
12:45Nope.
12:47You know, I think what happened last week was great.
12:50You know, he said what he said, put himself out there,
12:54and now he's got to guard Luka again.
12:57And hopefully he will have learned from the first game.
13:03And he was kind of astonished after that game at the way the game was played
13:08and the tricks that Luka was playing on him and the officiating
13:12and everything else.
13:12And I told him this is – it's a completely different game than the college game.
13:17And you have to get used to all those tricks.
13:21And so he's got five games under his belt, but one against Luka.
13:26So we'll see how he handles it tomorrow because you have to be really crafty
13:31to avoid the reach-in fouls, jumping at pump fakes, that kind of stuff
13:36when you play against Luka.
13:37Steve, you guys have done – I mean, it's such a clear job
13:41and seemingly organizational philosophy to let people be themselves.
13:45But I wonder, especially as the head coach of that,
13:49what kind of discipline does that take when you see something where you're like,
13:54ah, you know, this is a little bit of a dangerous line or whatnot.
13:59So how are you able to pull that off?
14:03I think that your job as an organization is to protect the players that need protecting.
14:11But our fans want to get to know our players.
14:14And I think, you know, we have maybe a different approach than a lot of organizations.
14:19We're really open in terms of allowing our guys to speak their mind
14:24and speak to the media.
14:26We give them media training, but we don't tell them what they can and can't say.
14:31I think all in all, it's really healthy as long as the guys you are, you know,
14:37exposing and putting out there are likable and engage with the fans
14:45to a point where it's really positive.
14:49There's a positive connection.
14:50And I think that's what we've tried to do.
14:53I feel very comfortable and confident that that's the right way to do it.
14:57But we also have to support the players who might not be as comfortable, you know,
15:03in the spotlight.
15:04And some are comfortable and then become somewhat uncomfortable.
15:07And I'm thinking about Pods because, you know,
15:09his comments taken out of context about Steph have kind of led fans against him.
15:14Yet you look at how he's playing through five games,
15:16and I'm sure he's winning back a lot of fans.
15:18You've always been a supporter of Brandon, but what have you made of his start to the year?
15:23He's done a great job.
15:24I think he was very aware and conscious of the reaction last year to some of his comments.
15:32And he's come in here from day one this year, put his head down, and got a haircut.
15:44And kept a super low profile.
15:47And he's just out there hooping.
15:50He's out there playing.
15:51And he's a winning player.
15:53You know, at one point in the Denver game, I looked down, he was a plus 32.
15:57He just has a knack for making winning plays.
16:00And I'm a huge fan.
16:02I think he's going to help us win a lot of games this year and have a great career.
16:08And you love to see that.
16:11Young players who recognize things they've got to do better.
16:14And I think Brandon recognized this year the importance of just sticking to business.
16:19And he's off to a great start.
16:22Steve Kerr with us, as he is every single week on Willard and Tibbs 95-7, the game.
16:26Coach, from an organizational standpoint, it has been very clear that there's only so much you guys know
16:32and only so much that you can say about Kristaps Porzingis.
16:36So this is not about his health at all.
16:38I am curious, though, at how difficult this has been for you guys.
16:44The situation that it has left you in.
16:46And there is an Anthony Slater article this week that would suggest there was that you guys maybe were caught
16:51off a little off guard by this.
16:53So what can you say about where this has left you?
16:57Well, we were definitely caught off guard by it in that we were in communication with him over the summer.
17:03And it seemed like everything was in a good place right up until training camp.
17:06And then, obviously, things went south.
17:09And I, you know, since the start of camp, when he was not here and we had to move forward,
17:18I haven't given it a whole lot of thought, to be honest, because we're just busy.
17:22You know, we have to take every single day and get our team ready for the next game.
17:28And the days are full.
17:30The schedule is full.
17:32And, you know, so I check in with Kristaps occasionally to see how he's doing.
17:38But we're moving forward.
17:42And that's all we can do.
17:43And I like our young bigs, Graham and Charles.
17:48You know, I think we're excited about playing those guys and the opportunity that they're going to receive.
17:55But everything else is not my jurisdiction.
17:59That's Mike's in the front offices.
18:01And I just come to practice.
18:03And I look forward to coaching the guys every day.
18:05And we're competing and seeing what we can put together.
18:09With regard to that center position, it seems as if the team has talked in the last couple of years
18:14about,
18:15especially with his age, wanting to kind of lessen the amount of minutes Draymond plays at the five.
18:20But you are in a situation where he's starting at the five.
18:23So how do you navigate that part for the year?
18:27It really helps when he's starting at the five and the guy at the four is 6'10", 235 pounds.
18:33That's fair.
18:35Our small lineup is not quite as small as it was, you know, the last few years.
18:41But this appears to be the right formula for us.
18:46It doesn't mean we're going to do it every single night.
18:49I think there are going to be times where we'll start a five like we did against Memphis when we
18:54started Graham,
18:56Mika, just based on matchups.
19:00But, you know, Draymond is at his best offensively at the five.
19:05It's not close, actually, because he's in pick and roll with Steph.
19:09And they have such a lethal, you know, connection in the two-man game.
19:15And then defensively, he's still, you know, one of the elite defenders in the entire NBA.
19:24So the size next to him with Yaxel is helpful.
19:27I think being able to be potent offensively at the five is also a boost for Draymond.
19:37And I think so far so good.
19:39But we're going to need Charles Bassey and Graham, E.K., and obviously Al Horford.
19:46And there are going to be plenty of nights where we're going to give him all the help he needs
19:50at the five.
19:51Offensively, he's got a lot of assists, but also a lot of turnovers.
19:54And he hasn't really shot the ball.
19:56Not that he hasn't shot it well, but he hasn't really shot the ball.
19:59What have you made of his offensive efforts so far through five?
20:04I think the connection is there with Steph.
20:09And offensively, he's making some great plays for us.
20:12The assists are there.
20:14He's still getting used to the new stuff we've put in.
20:18We're trying to get a little more organized and less chaotic than we've been in the past.
20:25And some of that organization and the flow that we're trying to add to the game is a little different
20:34for him.
20:35And so he still needs some time.
20:37Our whole team needs some time to get organized and feel more comfortable with the new stuff that we're putting
20:43in.
20:43But I have no doubt that he'll get better with it in terms of the turnovers.
20:48He's come to me several times and apologized during games.
20:52And I said, don't worry about it.
20:56But we're going to give this time.
20:57I'm going to give you patience.
20:59You give me patience.
21:00And we're going to get this where it needs to be.
21:03And I think it's trending in the right direction.
21:05Steve, how's Guy doing with regard to tomorrow night?
21:09Not sure.
21:11We had today off, so I have not talked to the training staff.
21:15We'll find out more tomorrow.
21:16And obviously, at some point yesterday, Yaxo was even questionable for that game.
21:22Did he come out of last night's game in pretty good shape?
21:25Yeah, I think so.
21:26I think so.
21:27So I haven't heard anything today otherwise.
21:31Yeah, I mean, he sure looked all right to me, Steve.
21:32I mean, this is not a medical opinion.
21:34But from what we saw, he's pretty awesome.
21:37Hey, we do want to ask you about Ernie Johnson, him announcing that this year will be his final year
21:43with TNT.
21:43What was he like working with him, and how much will we miss this institution?
21:49I think he's really kind of the moral compass, you know, kind of the paternal figure of that show.
21:59Everybody adores Ernie.
22:00He's one of the kindest souls you'll ever meet.
22:03He's just an unbelievable human being.
22:06And the way he kept that show sort of, you know, on the rails, the beauty of the show is
22:14that it sometimes goes off the rails, and Ernie's always there to pull it back.
22:18But his sense of humor, his sense of humanity, I think, always brought the best out of Charles, Kenny, and
22:25Shaq.
22:26And he's just an incredibly gifted human being, much less, you know, broadcaster.
22:35I mean, he's just a talented, talented guy, beloved by everybody.
22:39And so we're going to miss him.
22:41And, yeah, it was very sad to hear that he won't be doing inside anymore.
22:45But it makes sense, you know, he's ready to move forward.
22:48All of his comments were exactly what I would have expected from Ernie, you know, putting his family first and
22:55recognizing when the right time was.
22:59And he feels good about that.
23:01But, yeah, we'll miss him.
23:03What an incredible talent.
23:05Steve, I mean, we've been doing this now for a few years.
23:08And this year we are brought to you by Contra Costa County Library.
23:12Visit ccclib.org today.
23:15And I must say, you've influenced me.
23:17I went out and bought The Inner Game of Tennis.
23:20I'm holding it up right here.
23:22I wish the print were bigger because I'm having a hard time with my squinty eyes.
23:26But what am I looking forward to with this book?
23:29I played tennis, as did Mark Grandy, our producer.
23:31But this book's not really about tennis, is it?
23:34It's not about tennis.
23:35It's about the mind-body connection.
23:37And it's a book that was recommended to me midway through my career.
23:42And I read it, and it was like it became my Bible.
23:46I read it every single year of my career.
23:49It really is a book about connecting the mind and body and finding ways to achieve the zone that we're
24:01all looking for,
24:02you know, where you're competing effortlessly and your talent is coming out and you're not thinking, you're just performing.
24:08And the book was just brilliant.
24:12And so I recommend it to everybody.
24:14I give it to some of my players.
24:16I think it was written in the mid-70s.
24:18Yeah, I was going to say, this book's almost as old as me and you, Steve.
24:22Almost.
24:22Almost.
24:23It's timeless.
24:25But I think it doesn't even need to be about tennis.
24:29Tennis is just the medium that Tim Galloway, the author, used to write about this incredible connection that has to
24:39be kind of fostered between our bodies and our minds.
24:43It's because we all get in our own way in some ways.
24:47And, you know, the theme of the book is we all kind of have a self one and a self
24:51two.
24:51You know, there's our body and our mind.
24:54And the very beginning of the book talks about this tennis player he's watching.
24:58He was, you know, talking to himself after every bad shot.
25:02You know, you idiot.
25:02What are you doing?
25:03And the author thought, who's he talking to?
25:06You know, so there's a lot of that in sports.
25:11You know, you get disconnected from your from your mind and it's really hard to get back.
25:16And that book was a great way for me to try to stay connected.
25:19Is there anything in the book about stopping Walker Kessler at the rim?
25:26I'm going to look.
25:27I'm going to read it again tonight to try to find something.
25:30OK, good luck with that.
25:31We'll be we'll be watching tomorrow night.
25:33Hey, thank you.
25:34As always, we we look forward to to next week and go get him tomorrow night against the Lakers.
25:40Great chatting, guys.
25:41Thanks.
25:42OK, there it is.