Why Steve Kerr says he and the Warriors ‘need’ Kenny Atkinson
Warriors assistant coach Kenny Atkinson became a 'liaison' between
analytics department and Kerr
>Kenny Atkinson of the Brooklyn Nets reacts to a call in the second
quarter against the Golden State Warriors during their game at Barclays
Center on November 19, 2017 in the Brooklyn borough of New York City.
(Photo by Abbie Parr/Getty Images)
>Kenny Atkinson of the Brooklyn Nets reacts to a call in the second
quarter against the Golden State Warriors during their game at Barclays
Center on November 19, 2017 in the Brooklyn borough of New York City.
(Photo by Abbie Parr/Getty Images)
By SHAYNA RUBIN | srubin@bayareanewsgroup.com | Bay Area News Group
PUBLISHED: June 23, 2022 at 5:30 a.m. | UPDATED: June 23, 2022 at 5:34 a.m.
https://www.eastbaytimes.com/2022/06/23/why-the-warriors-are-thrilled-to-keep-analytically-driven-kenny-atkinson/

SAN FRANCISCO — Some stunning news broke about Kenny Atkinson in the
champagne-soaked hours between the Warriors’ title-sealing win in Boston
last week and their championship parade through the streets of this city.

During the Finals, Atkinson had reportedly agreed to become the
Charlotte Hornets’ new head coach. Shortly after the Warriors clinched
their fourth title in eight years, Atkinson reversed course. He was
staying in Golden State as an assistant coach on Steve Kerr’s staff,
sliding up to fill associate head coach Mike Brown’s seat after his
departure to coach the Kings.

Why did Atkinson, a former head coach with the Brooklyn Nets, decide to
stay? Kerr shared his thoughts,

“We’re in a great place, we got great players, we live in a beautiful
part of the country, Kenny’s got two kids, teenagers who really wanted
to stay, and I think it’s a really difficult thing to try to take a job
in the middle of the Finals without really getting a chance to unwind,”
Kerr said at the championship parade to NBC Sports Bay Area.

“I’m glad that Kenny trusted his gut, and hopefully Charlotte ends up
with a great coach and everybody moves forward. We’re lucky to have him
back, especially losing Mike Brown, I need Kenny, and I’m thrilled he’s
back.”

In addition, reports indicate the Hornets and Atkinson reached an
impasse on bringing in his staff of assistants. Nonetheless, the
Warriors are happy to have Atkinson back as a top assistant. Kerr said
he “needs” Atkinson, a conduit between Golden State’s growing analytics
department and Kerr himself.

“He’s very analytically driven, and I think the particular with
analytics is how you apply it to the court, and you have to sort of
figure out how to process information and how it can translate to
winning basketball games,” Kerr said at Wednesday’s pre-draft press
conference.

“It’s not an easy thing to do. There’s so many numbers, and Kenny is one
of the rare coaches who really has a great feel for the numbers and how
those numbers translate.”

Atkinson has also been involved in helping develop rookie Jonathan
Kuminga, Kerr said. But a shift toward analytics-based coaching powered
elements of the Warriors’ regular-season run.

Andrew Wiggins’ embrace of catch-and-shoot offense, for example, was
fueled by data that showed he was most effective taking more 3-pointers
than he had in seasons past with the Minnesota Timberwolves. Paired with
his strong defense, Wiggins shot nearly 40% from 3 this season, became
an All-Star starter and put on the performance of a lifetime in the
playoffs — officially breaking free of the No. 1 pick “bust” label.

The Warriors’ coaching staff boasts a handful of analytics-focused minds
such as Jama Mahlalela, who worked closely with Wiggins. Atkinson, like
Mahalela, joined the Warriors prior to this season — keeping them both
will help the Warriors and Kerr lean more into the numbers.

General manager Bob Myers said a coaching staff shift gave the Warriors
a “different way of looking at things” this year.

“We had a pretty homogenous group and they stayed together for quite
some time, new voices, someone that’s been in multiple organizations.
I’ve only ever worked here, so has Steve,” Myers said. “The people we’ve
brought in have worked in other places. That’s really valuable for
people like us who have just seen what this (organization) looks like.”

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Atkinson coached the Nets in 2019 to their first playoff berth since
2015 and stepped down midseason after Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving
joined the organization. After a year with the Los Angeles Clippers, the
Warriors brought him on, seeking the strong outside perspective a former
head coach can provide.

“We don’t do everything perfectly, so it’s always nice to find someone
like Kenny who was a head coach but coached in many other places
underneath some good coaches and approaches things differently,” Myers
said. “I think we realized when we hired him last year we needed some
new voices, and Kenny is not reticent, so he will say what’s on his
mind, and we value that.”

--
Shayna Rubin | Oakland Athletics reporter