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A more thorough process is expected this time. The Suns could very well have potential candidates on current playoff teams like assistants Chris Quinn with the Miami Heat, Jeff Van Gundy with the Los Angeles Clippers, Jerry Stackhouse of the Golden State Warriors, Lloyd Pierce of the Indiana Pacers and Johnnie Bryant of the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Draymond Green on Jerry Stackhouse: 'Real alphas respect and appreciate other real alphas'
Draymond Green: Stackhouse has been huge for me. Just, you know, the relatability. And also, Stackhouse has a crazy presence. He’s an extreme alpha. You know, real alphas respect and appreciate other real alphas. He’s helped me so much because, in a sense, he was a lot like me. And so he’s helping me grow—from a 50-year-old standpoint—that's like, 'Yo, I was young.' There are times where I would say something to somebody during the season, and he’ll come up to me like, 'Yo, that was great. Now what you go do is go build them up, and you do that.' And I’m like, 'Ah.' So just helping me become a better leader, helping me see things even more from a defensive perspective and offensive perspective.
Anthony Slater: Steph Curry said tonight was the last dunk of his career: “I’m calling it right now.” He pointed at Jerry Stackhouse after it because Stackhouse asked him to dunk at shootaround today. He said his knees have been feeling well enough to try it. pic.x.com/Qr1UqwKIhI
Jorge Sierra: Nikola Vucevic passed Jerry Stackhouse in scoring last night. He's No. 111 all-time now. Devin Booker tied Chauncey Billups for No. 130.
The Warriors can also sustain the frenetic defensive pace because they have a faster, deeper, stronger rotation than they did last season. At new defensive coordinator Jerry Stackhouse’s urging, they’re harrying opponents by blitzing almost every pick-and-roll, something very different than what the Warriors have done in this era. They give up some open shots this way, but they also cause a lot more chaos and give aggressive, athletic defenders like De’Anthony Melton, Draymond Green, Andrew Wiggins, and Gary Payton II a lot of room to fly around. “We really decided on doing that after the personnel moves this summer,” Kerr said. “Once we added Melt, once we knew GP and Wiggs were healthy and looking good, once we decided to play bigger with Trayce [Jackson-Davis] and Draymond, it just made sense. Jerry really pushed for it and he’s been great at teaching it. But it’s a combination really of personnel and what makes the most sense for our team. Wouldn’t have made sense last year.”
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There was a discussion that included Jonathan Kuminga and Green and new defensive coordinator Jerry Stackhouse. There was some frustration. But later in the game, when Hield was on the floor for his shooting and scoring, the Celtics targeted him in switches to get Tatum against him. He held up better against the attack and funneled him into help better, following the game plan rules. On the other end, it paid off. Hield had a huge layup and a backbreaking 3 in crunch time. “Stack is on me. Draymond is on me. Everybody’s on me,” Hield said. “I’m just learning from them and building championship habits. That’s what they’re always preaching. Championship habits … (It’s about) being detail-oriented and having no brain farts.
This summer, Mike Dunleavy and Steve Kerr decided the Warriors’ coaching staff needed an infusion. Both agreed to finding a former NBA player with a commanding personality. In the interview process, Dunleavy brought Jerry Stackhouse to the table. “I don’t think the timing could’ve been more perfect for me,” Stackhouse told The Athletic. “If I would’ve fulfilled my (Vanderbilt) contract, I would’ve been nine, 10 years removed from the NBA.”
He assumed he’d sit out the next season and planned to travel to visit various pro coaching staffs, eyeing a return to the NBA level after beginning his coaching career in the Toronto Raptors organization. “Golden State would’ve been atop my list,” Stackhouse said. “I would’ve called and wanted to come to training camp, come to practices.” But the Warriors called first. Dunleavy and Kerr set up an interview. Stackhouse impressed Kerr.
Stackhouse was in Las Vegas during the early portion of summer league. He met veterans such as Jonathan Kuminga and Kevon Looney. He attended workouts for Andrew Wiggins and Moses Moody. He made it clear he believes part of the reason he was hired was to help develop all the wings on the roster. “That’s the position I played,” Stackhouse said. “I’ve sat in that seat. I’ve been there. I understand what they’re going through, from a young guy looking for a contract to a guy whose game is transitioning as you get older.
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Kerr landed on Terry Stotts and Jerry Stackhouse. Despite a long history in the same industry, Kerr and Stotts didn’t know each other well before this hiring process. But the mutual respect was there and, as Kerr dissected the offensive issues that need fixing, it became clear to him that Stotts — a noted tactician — had the correct skill set to do the tweaking. “He fits what we want to do and get a little bit more patterned,” Kerr said. “He loves movement. Portland, you know, they always had a lot of motion and movement, but it was probably more patterned than what we’ve done. Terry can really help us put in some new things that may be easier to run but maintain the motion.”
Stotts has been a head coach for 13 seasons: two in Atlanta, two in Milwaukee and nine in Portland. With the Trail Blazers, he designed an offense around Damian Lillard that finished second, second, third, third, sixth and eighth in six of the nine seasons. The Warriors, despite Stephen Curry’s brilliance, finished 10th and ninth the last two seasons, and Kerr felt they needed a refresh. “They’ve had a great offense for a lot of years,” Stotts told The Athletic. “Steph’s been doing pretty well (laughs). I think I can maybe bring some fresh eyes to it. The roster has changed a little bit. But it’s not like I’m going to be in charge of anything. I think I can be a good sounding board for Steve on the offensive end and might be able to implement some things we did in Portland.”
Warriors intend to bring on Terry Stotts, Jerry Stackhouse to coaching staff
Adrian Wojnarowski: The Golden State Warriors are planning to hire Terry Stotts as lead assistant coach and Jerry Stackhouse as an assistant, sources tell ESPN. Both come to Steve Kerr’s staff with significant head coaching experience.
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