Warriors coach Steve Kerr and former Nets coach Kenny Atkinson – united in not jibing offensively with Kevin Durant, united on Golden State’s coaching staff.
Anthony Slater and Shams Charania of The Athletic:
The Warriors are near an agreement to add former Nets head coach Kenny Atkinson to Steve Kerr’s coaching staff as one of the lead assistants, sources told The Athletic.
Atkinson spent last season as a Clippers assistant, which looked like a premium assistant-coaching position. It’s a little surprising he’d jump to Golden State – especially with former Cavaliers and Lakers coach Mike Brown already on the bench there.
The Warriors could use more emphasis on player development, which Atkinson did so well in Brooklyn. James Wiseman is a raw talent, and Golden State has the Nos. 7 and 14 picks in this year’s draft.
Atkinson looks like he again deserves head-coaching consideration for a team trying to establish a culture around young players – like the Magic. But that apparently won’t happen this year. Maybe a year on Kerr’s staff will boost Atkinson’s appeal.
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Report: Warriors hiring Kenny Atkinson as assistant coach originally appeared on NBCSports.com