During the Golden State Warriors win over the Phoenix Suns on Monday, head coach Steve Kerr made an interesting decision which has drawn mixed reactions from the media and fans. Kerr handed the clipboard over to his players throughout the game so they could draw up plays.
On Tuesday, Kerr's former right-hand man and current Los Angeles Lakers head coach, Luke Walton, was asked about Kerr's decision to have players call the shots against the Suns.
“It's about getting players to understand that it's their team,” Walton said. “They got to take ownership and the more ownership they take and what they do and how they interact or behave on the court, the more success they're going to have. I think it's a smart way of a group that has had the success that they've had and of keeping it fresh and keeping the main goal of growing as the season goes on. Continuing to grow as a group.
Article Continues Below“It engages the players,” Walton said of Kerr's tactic. “I'm sure they had a good time with it, but it also gives them the awareness and understanding of what that feels like, so they're mature. That's a mature team up there, and they can handle those type of responsibilities, and obviously, they responded well to it last night.”
The Warriors went to on to crush the Suns beating the lowly Phoenix franchise by 46 points. As Walton pointed out, Kerr's tactic obviously went well with the team winning their 44th game of the season.
As for the Lakers, Walton and company are headed on the road, and it might be some time before he's willing to hand the clipboard over to his players. Los Angeles is coming off a disappointing loss to the Dallas Mavericks this past weekend and will play two more games on the road before heading home for the All-Star break.