For Walton, who is at the helm while head coach Steve Kerr recovers from complications of offseason back surgery, the question has been raised as to crediting the 35-year-old interim for the team’s success, since under current National Basketball Association guidelines, Kerr still receives credit for all of Walton’s wins and losses.
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The NBA issued a statement that even though Walton is 0-0, he is still eligible to win coach of the month award.
Steve Kerr says he is unsure when he will return.
Walton came to the Warriors last season as player development coach with the Los Angeles D-Fenders in the National Basketball Association D-League. So technically, Walton went 0-0 in November.
“I think it’s ridiculous”, Kerr told ESPN.com’s Ethan Sherwood Strauss last week.
Golden State’s 16 wins in November ties the franchise-mark for wins in a month set in March 2015, when Kerr led the Warriors to a 16-2 ledger en route to Coach of the Month honors. “That’s the hardest thing: You don’t know when you’re going to feel better”. By not changing, the N.B.A. avoids the potential for a major record upheaval, because Don Nelson, the N.B.A.’s coaching victories leader, received credit for at least 10 wins in games coached by an interim replacement. “I don’t even understand it”. Walton was a no-brainer to win the award, even if none of those 19 Warriors wins are officially his to claim.
Kerr said that while he has attended most of the Warriors’ practices in Oakland, doing so also made it clear to him that he was not ready to return to the bench.
Golden State Warriors interim head coach Luke Walton in the second…
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Kerr was happy Walton garnered recognition and said the award belonged to his entire staff. As far as the coaching record, both coaches said they didn’t care who got the credit.
