How new Warriors assistant coach Stackhouse looks to improve defense

How new Warriors assistant coach Stackhouse looks to improve defense originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

While the Warriors were trudging through last season piling up mystifying losses, coach Steve Kerr was analyzing the operation. By season’s end, he had reached several conclusions, one being that his staff could use more gravitas.

After consulting with general manager Mike Dunleavy, Kerr set his sights on former NBA players who would command respect and not be afraid to get bullish – particularly in matters regarding defense.

Kerr interviewed several candidates before hiring Jerry Stackhouse, who fits that description like a tailored suit.

“The word from Mike and Steve was that they were looking to add a former player,” Stackhouse tells NBC Sports Bay Area. “And what (my teams) do on the defensive side of the ball is always showing himself well, whether it was in the D League or at Vanderbilt. The teams when I was in Memphis as well. So, this is just a great opportunity.”

Stackhouse, a two-time NBA All-Star, spent his 18-year career among players – including Charles Oakley and Zach Randolph – whose demeanor could be spelled in six letters: B-E-W-A-R-E. He’d put on his “mean mug” before tipoff and keep it in place until the final buzzer, fists ready to engage in the interim. Some folks who step onto the court mean business. “Stack” was business.

Upon retiring in 2013, Stackhouse turned his energy toward coaching. He took jobs with the Toronto Raptors – as head coach, he led their D-League team to a championship in 2017 – and the Memphis Grizzlies. When Vanderbilt University in 2019 offered a six-year contract to be their head coach, he accepted.

Stackhouse lasted five seasons, during which there were no five-star recruits, and the team never reached the NCAA Tournament. Two months after his dismissal in March, Kerr and Dunleavy reached out. Stackhouse joined them for dinner in Los Angeles, and they spent the next day studying video and discussing strategy. A couple weeks later, he was offered a job as an assistant coach. He will join Terry Stotts, Kris Weems and Kerr on the…

Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/warriors-assistant-coach-stackhouse-looks-151226981.html

Author : NBC Sports BayArea

Publish date : 2024-07-29 15:12:26

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