Joe Lacob and his newly assembled staff have told Warrior fans that they are changing the way Warriors basketball is to be played and watched. As fans, are we ready to ditch the high-octane game we've been fed since the Don Nelson era 1.0?
New Warriors lead assistant coach Michael Malone is supposed to anchor the Warriors new defensive schemes, but will he be able to discipline this team that seems afraid of defense the way that children are afraid of vegetables? This comparison of the Warriors to children couldn't be more apt, according to Malone himself.
Warriors beat writer Rusty Simmons of the San Francisco Chronicle writes this morning that Malone's ability to discipline his own children is how well his defensive mentality transfers to the adult world of professional basketball:
During a phone interview with the Warriors' new lead assistant coach this month, a crying child acted as background noise. After about five minutes, it had to be asked which of his young daughters was having the temper tantrum.
"Come on, that's not one of my kids. I wouldn't allow it," Malone said. "They would be running suicides right now, and they know it."
Many professional athletes in the NBA and other professional sports are known to be divas for the preferential treatment they think they deserve on and off the court. Writers have long written about Lebron James relationship with coaches that makes the coaches look like puppets and James the puppeteer. But Malone has had a track record of working with such star players as James and Chris Paul and luckily he doesn't have such dominating personalities on the Warriors to have to manage, yet.
If anything, it sounds like the Warriors could have used Malone beginning last season and he seems like the right guy for the job. Given the talent-deficient team he coached to into being one of the best defensive squads in the NBA last season, we can expect the Warriors to get better, even marginally...right? With Malone on board, we'll see for reals how poor the talent is on this Warriors squad if the currently assembled squad of scorers can't become more two-way-player-ish.
Also, New Orleans probably had some great food, but, Malone, you forgot about that, too, in your glowing assessment of California!
"My girls have no idea what California is all about, but I have convinced them to be excited about seeing the Golden Gate Bridge, the redwood trees and the ocean. They're as sold as I am, and that makes my life a whole lot easier."
Think Malone can break the cycle of matador defense that has been a staple in Warriors basketball?