Golden State Warriors interim head coach Luke Walton walks to the bench while playing against the Chicago Bulls in the second quarter of their game at Oracle Arena in Oakland, Calif., on Friday, Nov. 20, 2015. (Jose Carlos Fajardo/Bay Area News Group)
I know what you’re thinking — the Warriors won an NBA title without Luke Walton as head coach, and they could probably coach themselves.
I’m not talking about that type of credit.
Walton isn’t officially the head coach of the Golden State Warriors — so although they sit at 16-0 — Walton’s record as a head coach is officially 0-0 for now.
According to Inside Bay Area, the NBA is examining its decades old policy of crediting wins and losses to the head coach in name only.
Luke Walton has served as the interim head coach throughout the Warriors’ record-breaking 16-0 start. But Walton’s record officially stands at 0-0, because current NBA policy awards those victories to Steve Kerr. Kerr is the Warriors coach by title, but he hasn’t coached a game this season while recovering from following two offseason back surgeries.
The league is expected to announce next week that someone from the Warriors staff has won Western Conference coach of the month honors.
I mean we know Kerr is the head coach of the Warriors, but if Walton coaches them to a 16-0 record or perse, 33-0 start — then he should get the acknowledgement of those stats on his record.
He’d get the blame if they started off 6-10 — so credit the man in the win, loss column.
