There has been a lot of drama surrounding Mark Jackson‘s relationship with the Golden State Warriors this year, such as Jackson saying Curry is not his MVP.
Jackson avoided further controversy after the Warriors game 1 win vs. the New Orleans Pelicans when he endorsed Steve Kerr for Coach of the Year, telling The Bay Area News Group:
“You have to give him a lot of credit,” Jackson said. “He has done an outstanding job. In my opinion, the Coach of the Year. He has elevated this basketball team.”
Steve Kerr certainly has a strong case for the Coach of the Year award. He lead the Warriors to a 67-15 record this season in his first year coaching, the best record ever for a first year head coach.
Jackson also made amends by talking about Curry’s defensive improvement, saying
“He’s a guy who competes on both sides of the basketball,” Jackson said. “He has pride on both ends of the floor. That’s part of the MVP discussion. He’s not just a guy who plays on the offensive end. He deserves a lot of credit.”
Jackson went back on his previous comments endorsing James Harden for MVP, saying that Curry “very well may be the MVP of this league.”
Stephen Curry and and Steve Kerr each deserve strong consideration for the awards that they are in contention for, and it’s smart of Mark Jackson to use these comments to try to make peace with Golden State. There’s no reason for him to start any more beef with the franchise than he already has.
