Mar 1, 2025; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia 76ers head coach Nick Nurse reacts during the second quarter against the Golden State Warriors at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images
PHILADELPHIA - Steve Kerr and the Golden State Warriors can empathize with what Nick Nurse and the Sixers are going through. Their 2019-20 season wasn't all that dissimilar to the campaign Philadelphia is having.
Klay Thompson tore his ACL in the 2019 Finals. Stephen Curry broke his hand early the next season. Kevin Durant was gone, D'Angelo Russell was the consolation prize.
It must've been hard to wipe the tears of disappointment away with three championship rings weighing down their fingers.
That doesn't make the job any less difficult in the moment. You have to rationalize a swift change in expectations, first and foremost.
"Every situation is different. For us, it was a matter of shifting our priorities to player development. Recognizing that we're not going to be a playoff team, but what can we do to help our young guys get better and I think maintaining the culture and the vibe that you want in the building is really important," Kerr told reporters ahead of Saturday's matchup between the red-hot Warriors and reeling Sixers.
"It's probably more important when you're losing than when you're winning and when you're really beaten down like we were that year. It was important to me and to us that we maintained the vibe in the building of what we stand for, what we feel strongly about."
Despite a league-worst record, Kerr emerged from the season with a sense of pride. His organization had accomplished the goals that it shifted to after all came crashing down.
"We had guys who got better, we had a good vibe, guys looked forward to coming in to work. I think that year helped - Jordan Poole got a lot better toward the end, he got to play and make mistakes and grow. Two years later, he helped us win a championship," Kerr said.
Poetic how that works.
"So, you have to be looking forward all the time. We were looking forward and we just tried to make the most of that season."
To make the most of the season, order has to be maintained at times when the threat of disarray presents.
It starts with the head coaching remaining even-keel, not falling for the emotional letdown that is disappointment.
"You just do. You don't have any choice. When you're the coach, you're the leader of the group. If you don't do that, things are going to go off the rails," Kerr said.
"So, you got to do what you got to do."
Nurse's intention appears to be in lockstep with what Kerr's was at the time.
"Our priority is to get this team to play with great effort and try to figure out how to win some games," he said Saturday night.
Better for the guys in that locker room right now and perhaps worse for the future, the Sixers did that against Kerr's Warriors.
There are 23 games left in the 2024-25 regular season. Philadelphia is 1-0 since Joel Embiid was ruled out for the remainder of the regular season. The Sixers are within striking distance of both the Play-In tournament and improving their position to secure their protected first-round pick in this summer's draft.
There's lots left for Nurse and company to navigate.
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