Warriors notes: Another assistant coach up for NBA head coaching gig

Mike Brown might not be the only Warriors assistant coach on his final ride with Golden State.

Kenny Atkinson, who joined Steve Kerr’s coaching staff last offseason, is a finalist for the Charlotte Hornets’ head coaching gig, according to reports in recent days from The Athletic and ESPN.

He’s set for an interview with Hornets owner Michael Jordan this week between NBA Finals games, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported. Ex-Suns and Rockets coach Mike D’Antoni is also reportedly interviewing.

Atkinson, who turned 55 last week, became known around the NBA as a strong developmental mind in his first head coaching stint, when he helped guide the Brooklyn Nets from the basement of the Eastern Conference in 2016 to a playoff appearance in 2019 without much in the way of draft picks.

He was fired from the Nets job midway through the team’s first season with Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving as Brooklyn transformed from a developmental franchise into a star-run team.

Atkinson spent one season with the LA Clippers before Kerr brought him aboard last summer, seeking new perspectives to push the Warriors forward.

“I’ve always been kind of an out-of-the-box thinker, not afraid of engaging,” Atkinson told NBC Sports Bay Area’s Monte Poole earlier this season in describing his role and connection with Kerr.

The Kings reportedly had an interest in Atkinson before hiring Brown last month, and the Lakers also interviewed him before they announced former Milwaukee assistant Darvin Ham as their next coach last week.

DRAYMOND TOP-10 FINALS HELPER

Draymond Green moved into the top 10 in all-time NBA Finals assists Sunday night as he racked up seven of them in the Dubs’ Game 2 win.

“Not half bad for a guy who can’t pass,” Green tweeted Monday, sparking the question of who ever accused him of being unable to pass.

Well, Wizards forward Kyle Kuzma didn’t exactly make that strong an assertion, but he did imply Green’s passing wasn’t all it’s cracked up to be: “Listen bro I can (hand the ball) to Steph as well congrats!!!!”

The Warriors are now 5-0 this postseason following a loss, outscoring their opponents by an average of 15.4 in those games.

That PPG diff is the 5th-highest across the past 50 postseasons.

4th on that list? This year's Celtics (+15.5), who get a chance to respond on Wednesday. pic.twitter.com/zdVO32y12J

— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) June 6, 2022

BACK IN THE MIX

The Warriors became betting underdogs after the Celtics blew them off the court in the fourth quarter of Game 1, but now they’re back to even in the oddsmakers’ minds.

VegasInsider.com has the Warriors listed at -112 to win the series, and the Celtics are at -109, implying a very slight preference for Golden State, though bettors are paying a premium to place money on either team.

Steph Curry also retook the lead in the odds for Finals MVP. He is now the frontrunner at +135. Boston’s Jayson Tatum is now +180, with no other players better than +750 (Jaylen Brown). Tatum scored better in Game 2 (28 points on 8-of-19 shooting) but was an astonishing minus-36 in 34 minutes.

TOO MUCH ON STEPH?

Stephen A. Smith said Monday morning on First Take that despite the Game 2 win, he thinks the Warriors are asking too much of Steph Curry offensively.

“It can’t be Steph Curry and such a huge discrepancy between Curry and the rest of the guys on the offensive end of the floor in order to win this series,” Smith said after specifying that he had picked the Warriors to win the Finals. “I think you’re gonna need at least one other individual to step up in order to win four games in this particular series.”

He highlighted Jordan Poole and Klay Thompson as players who could step up to help Curry. Poole flashed just before halftime Sunday night and finished with 17 points after struggling mightily in Game 1. Thompson struggled to find any rhythm shooting in Game 2, shooting 4-of-19 in the win.