NBA: Coach Kerr worried with Warriors’ lack of rim protection

Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr. AP File photo

After bagging this year’s most coveted free agent Kevin Durant, many would think Golden State Warriors’ head coach Steve Kerr would be ecstatic with his new line-up.

Instead, the reigning NBA coach of the year was more concerned about what the team lost—primarily on the defensive side of the floor.

“The thing that’s different will be a lack of rim protection,” Kerr told Monte Pool of CSNBayArea.com

“We had great rim protection from (Andrew) Bogut and (Festus) Ezeli , and both those guys are gone. Zaza’ (Pachulia) is a very good defender, but he’s more of a positional guy than a shot blocker,” he said, noting the team’s roster sacrifices to make room for the one-time league MVP.

Bogut and Ezeli logged up majority of the front court minutes for the Dubs last year, combining for 2.7 blocks per game. The duo was heralded by pundits as one of the most intimidating interior presence in the league.

After falling short in the Finals against the Cleveland Cavaliers, Bogut was dealt to the Dallas Mavericks along with another vital player Harrison Barnes, while Ezeli opted to sign with the Portland Trailblazers.

The Warriors were able to snag Pachulia and David West as replacements, but neither possesses the ability to alter shots like their predecessors.

“There’s definitely adjustments we’ll have to make, even schematically. We’ll have some growing pains, especially on defense, as we try to make sure we get everything right and comfortable,” Kerr said.

Despite losing their top anchors up-front, Andre Iguodala and Klay Thompson are excellent stoppers on the wings, while Durant and Draymond Green are no slouch on the defensive end as well.

Golden State has been in the top five in terms of defensive rating for the past three seasons.  Khristian Ibarrola