The Golden State Warriors are currently in the middle of a head coaching search after relieving Mark Jackson of his coaching duties last week.
Recent rumors have linked the Warriors to Steve Kerr, who has also been linked to the New York Knicks. However, according to ESPN, the Dubs are starting to feel less and less confident about their chances with Kerr, and are now looking at former Magic coach Stan Van Gundy as their front-runner.
The Golden State Warriors are increasingly pessimistic about their chances of convincing Steve Kerr to turn down the New York Knicks in favor of Golden State’s coaching job, according to sources close to the process.
Sources told ESPN.com that the Warriors fear Kerr is “too deep” in talks with the Knicks and new shot-caller Phil Jackson to convince Kerr to rebuff Jackson now.
But sources also stressed that Stan Van Gundy is actually the closest thing to a top target at this early stage of Golden State’s search for a successor to the fired Mark Jackson, based at least in part on the premise that an experienced coach can ensure that the Warriors maintain upward momentum in the ultra-competitive Western Conference.
I personally do not see the fascination many teams currently have with Kerr. It makes sense for a rebuilding Knicks squad to pursue a coach with no experience, but for a team like the Warriors looking to take that next step a veteran coach should be their preference.
Van Gundy for his part has done well in his stops in Miami and Orlando, however the knock on him has always been that despite taking his teams deep in the playoffs, he can’t push them over the proverbial championship hump. With a team filled with shooters however, Van Gundy’s offense may be the perfect fit for the Warriors. It will be interesting to see where the Warriors go from here now that Kerr seems to be off the market.