Warriors Steve Kerr reacts to the sudden shot of Malone

Phoenix – The Warriors coach Steve Kerr did not mock the words before Tuesday’s match in Phoenix when he was asked for his reaction to the sudden layoffs by the long -standing coach nuggets Mike Malone.

Malone has become the second coach of a western conference team for the playoffs, the other being the former coach of Memphis, Taylor Jenkins, to be dismissed in the past two weeks.

“Shocked, like everyone else,” said Kerr. “Mike was obviously a great coach.

Malone was assistant to Mark Jackson’s Warriors staff from 2011 to 23.

The Nuggets hired Malone in 2015, and he trained Denver at the NBA 2023 championship, the first in the history of the franchise.

Denver entered Tuesday 47-32 and was fourth oily, but they cut the links with Malone and the director general Calvin Booth with the team embedded in a sequence of four consecutive defeats. On Friday, one of these defeats came to Golden State, a match where Steph Curry lost 36 points.

“Organizations must do their own business, and we are not aware of all this, so I have no idea what was going on, so I cannot comment on something other than wishing Mike,” said Kerr. “He did an incredible job and that does not seem well, but it is the company in which we are. We are all going to undergo a similar spell at a given moment.”

Since Kerr took the Warriors post in 2014, six coaches won NBA titles. Four of them were dismissed, Kerr and the champion last year Joe Mazzulla of the Boston Celtics being the only survivors.

Among this group is Mike Budenholzer, the current Sun coach who led the Bucks as a title in 2021 but was dismissed in 2023.

“Shocking … This league is difficult to win a championship,” said Budenholzer before the match. “To have all the success he had, to build the program he has built, the individual success for their players and the organizational success, he is just an excellent coach. The proof is in everything he has done.”

Why are so many successful coaches released? Kerr, whose team is 46-32 and sown sixth in the race for the playoffs, had a hypothesis.

“There is so much money in the business now, and there are advantages and disadvantages,” said Kerr. “We all make greater wages than five years ago, but we are all much more vulnerable because I do not think that many owners are also anxious to dismiss a guy and reimburse him to leave.”

Kevin during or former team

The former Superstar of the Warriors Kevin during the Tuesday match with his former teammates. During the right ankle injury during the last three games.

“He made a few shots, moved a little,” said Budenholzer. “Make progress, but nothing more than shooting right now.”

The man who has won consecutive finals in the bay region is on average 26.6 points per game with the Suns this season. Phoenix (35-43) entered 2.5 games from Dallas Mavericks on Tuesday evening for the last place of play.

Gary Payton II excluded

The defensive guard was excluded with inflammation of the right knee against Phoenix. Payton II also treated an injured thumb.

“He had a little knee swelling after the flight, so yes, he came out tonight, and I hope that nothing long term,” said Kerr.

Originally published: April 8, 2025 at 6:40 p.m.