During a playing career that spanned 11 seasons, Luke Walton played in 564 games but started only 138 times. The man is obviously accustomed to coming off the bench. So maybe we shouldn’t be surprised by his success with the Warriors, whose 26-1 record entering Wednesday night’s games is a reflection of the near-perfect basketball they have been playing. Walton has been the absolute perfect sub for Steve Kerr, who has yet to coach a game this season while recovering from back
OAKLAND – During Golden State’s otherworldly 24-0 start, interim coach Luke Walton was asked how it felt to get no official credit for the victories. NBA policy is that only the permanent coach can accumulate wins and losses, so those victories went to Steve Kerr, who has yet to coach this season while recovering from back surgery. The winning streak, which set an all-time pro sports record for consecutive victories to open a season, ended Saturday with a 108-95 loss to
For the last three years, the Philadelphia 76ers have embraced the philosophy that one way to win big is to lose big. So it makes perfect sense that on Monday, their youth movement continued with the addition of a 76-year-old man. It is significant that Jerry Colangelo showed up in Philadelphia less than three weeks before Santa Claus. That likely answered the Christmas wish of many Sixers fans, because Colangelo no doubt arrives bearing the gift of common sense. Since becoming general
The troubling part of Kobe Bryant’s descent into mediocrity – to be kind and properly deferential – is that the more gullible among us shared his vision of himself. Yes, we were aware of Achilles, knee and shoulder injuries that caused him to miss 123 of 164 games the last two years. But this is basketball’s version of the bionic man. Some of us believed what Lakers coach Byron Scott said after Bryant’s right rotator cuff injury in January. “I think the
For several years, probably dating back to 2011 when the Dallas Mavericks became one of the most unlikely champions in NBA history, Rick Carlisle has been compared favorably to Gregg Popovich, the best coach in the league. Both men are superior strategists and in-game coaches, and both take little credit for their excellence. Popovich, who is in his 20th season as the Spurs head coach, has never allowed anyone to lose sight of the primary reason for his success. When praised
When LaMarcus Aldridge decided the chance to win titles was more attractive than the individual glory of scoring points, he knew he would have to adjust. The lure of the five-time champion San Antonio Spurs was strong, but not only did they have the Big Three, who still sit at the head of the table, they also had a young star who was already an NBA Finals MVP. Everyone from sage NBA writers to slobbering drunks yelling at TVs in sports
When Dirk Nowitzki met Helmut Schmidt in 2013, the former German Chancellor offered what he considered to be sage advice, unaware that in the lucrative world of the NBA, his suggestion would be more humorous than practical. Schmidt asked Nowitzki his age, which was almost 35 at the time. Schmidt then asked if Nowitzki could play another 10 years in the NBA and Nowitzki said no, playing past 40 was not really feasible. So Schmidt, being practical, said Nowitzki should prepare for
The Cavaliers’ postseason press conference was a good one last week. GM David Griffin spent time explaining why David Blatt is a good coach. And Blatt spent time explaining that he and LeBron James have a good relationship. It would seem that if someone is a good coach and two people have a good relationship, explanations are not needed. But such is the dynamic in Cleveland. There seems to be little doubt that the leading characters in Cleveland are misplaced. Blatt, as