Local men vow to close bakery

…or Kerr and Dunleavy agree to “limit turnovers”

If you’ve spent any time on any of our live chat Watch Parties over the last several years, you know that when the Golden State Warriors start screwing up in any given game and maybe throw the ball to the other team two times in a row, someone, probably Pinky from Portland, will comment, “Uh oh, the bakery is open.”

I probably have to credit Miami Bruce Maro, though. I could be wrong, but I think he’s the originator of the “bakery” reference on our chats.

So…

Wow, Mike Dunleavy, Jr. and Steve Kerr — including Kirk and Joe Lacob, via the meetings that helped decide the return of Kerr — really are now committed to not turning the ball over? 😮 🤯

Cue Newman scene on Seinfeld: “What took you so long?” (Okay, not the best exact parallel of what happened, but same reaction nevertheless!)

At the GM and head coach exit interviews last week, Dunleavy even went so far as to say, when asked if he expected the Warriors to have a different style of play next season, “You know what? We can play however we want, just don’t turn the ball over. I don’t — yeah, I really don’t care.

“I think Steve would probably say the same thing, but it just, if we — I think it’s more of, you’re bottom five in the league in turning the ball over, I don’t think we can get to the top five in the league.”

[Full Dunleavy transcript to come in the next post. This article is mainly to get the Kerr transcripts documented.]

Don’t forget, in my LA Clippers Play-in game recap, despite the fact the Warriors had roughly twenty turnovers, they went the last ten minutes of regulation without committing a nary one!

But what exactly does this mean? Is it the end of “organized chaos”? I don’t think so. When I picture organized chaos, it’s like when Draymond Green said it one time on the podium. If/when one Wardell Stephen Curry loses the ball, then gets it back, then fires a three when least expected, literally in that same moment, that is organized chaos.

Or maybe someone else loses the ball or gets a steal, then your No. 1 priority becomes locating Steph. Because 3 > 2 and that splash might just blow the roof off the building, which can demoralize the opponent even more than a poster dunk.

Said Steve at the same exit interview:

It may mean walkthroughs, it may mean written tests, it may mean more video work. Hopefully, it also means more time on the court. We need that, but we, I think, we lost some of our discipline and we got a little loose and that’s my job. And if we can go into the season with a really clear vision of what we’re trying to do on the court, everybody is tight and committed and we get the process going, that’s what will lead to success. And so I can’t sit here and predict anything, wins and losses, but what success means to me is rededicating ourselves to a process where we’re gonna put in the work and we’re gonna get better.

Written tests? 🧐

Yeah, Kerr even doubled down on Tim Kawakami’s TK Show later that day:

It’s evaluating how we operate, practice-wise. Maybe we would have been better having walkthroughs in ballrooms when we’re on the road, instead of just giving the guys a day off to rest. Like, maybe there’s more that we can do. Maybe I need to quiz players on off-days so that we can execute better. And it’s not all roster, it’s not all strategy, it’s not all process. It’s all of the above and that’s what we have to sort through this summer.

Full transcript (with timestamps) on the turnover issue, which was covered for about the middle ten minutes with Kawakami, below the paywall. 👇

With that, I’ll unlock the previous full transcript of Al Horford, who I think will definitely come back and opt-in, from the previous article.

Speaking of which, I haven’t posted in awhile, but tbh I’ve been doing tons of work with Draft analysis (twice!) and salary cap sheet projections on the YouTube channel.

I might need to switch things up and break some old habit so mine, as well, in terms of investing way too much time typing these thoughts out. If I can get more info and (high-vibrational) takes out on this Substack on a more frequent basis, I think that’s the way to go.

In fact, the entire Kerr saga, and then some, has already been covered in-depth in near-real-time on our Discord server. Here’s a sample from even before the decision:

Again, our Discord is the antithesis of Twitter, where truths can be twisted and you never can remember where you heard a rumor.

By contrast, our Discord server is completely searchable. The VIP version at $5/month has specific video feeds and information sources from all over, neatly organized into topics.

Sign up for either the free or VIP version here: https://whop.com/letsgowarriors

Finally, my quests for truths does not end here. I will have at least a couple of coaches on various livestreams coming up to talk about just what it means to change your culture to not turn the ball over. And, in that vein, what the hell kinda quizzes could Steve possibly be suggesting?

Best to subscribe to our YouTube channel, hit the 🛎️ for alerts, and you’ll know when those interviews go down.

By the way, that 36-minute exit interview is, to my knowledge, the longest Steve has ever been on any Warriors podium. If you’re a paid subscriber here and want to see the Kawakami transcript, you’ll need to scroll down a ton to reach the paywall! 👇

00:00 STEVE KERR, BELATED EXIT INTERVIEW: Hi, guys. How you doing? I guess I’ll just start off and just say I’m thrilled to be back. Couldn’t be more excited to continue on this job and we had a great process the last few weeks trying to figure this out together, collaboratively. I don’t think this actually happens in pro sports, honestly, where you have these kind of conversations and genuinely, authentically try to figure out together what’s the right thing, you know? So I’m very lucky to be in this organization, to work with the people I do, to work with Joe and Mike and before that, Bob Myers. And where it truly is a partnership and we’re trying to do what’s the best thing for the franchise. And we literally spent a couple weeks trying to figure out if the best thing for the franchise was me coming back. And, ultimately for me, I took about a week to really think about whether it was the right thing for me. And my wife and I spoke every day about it and bottom line was, I still love what I do which is what I told you guys throughout the season. I love coaching. I love being part of the Warriors. And so at the end of about a week, my wife and I decided let’s let’s keep doing this, if the Warriors want me to keep doing this. And it was — she, my wife said something. She said, “You know, you might coach again someday, but you’ll never coach the Warriors again.” And that was really meaningful to me because I love this team. I love our players and that struck me, you know? I couldn’t imagine walking away from the Warriors. And so at that point it was really, what do you guys wanna do? And we had great meetings and over the course of about a week, we all agreed, let’s do it. And so here I am, so I’ll take questions.

02:22 I don’t know how specific you can get, but what within those conversations mattered? What changes? Or just what, why did you guys decide it was right for you to be back and what made that so?

02:36 Well, ultimately, it was, I think, just the partnership and what we have and what we’ve built. And I think, what we had to get to was, it wasn’t so much, “Here are all the changes we need to make,” because we know we need to make some change. I know I have to be better. I didn’t have a great coaching year this year. I know there are a lot of things I can do better. And they and Mike and Joe know they have a big job on their hands this summer. We’ve got to find somebody in the Draft who can help us and make a couple good signings, maybe a trade. Who knows, right? We — so that stuff was more general. It wasn’t sort of, “Here are the things I need,” or, “Here are the things they need.” It was more just an inflection point for the franchise, where we are where we’ve been and what does it look like? And with the injuries to Jimmy and Moses, I think we had to come to a much more reality-based shared vision of what does success look like for us? What are we trying to accomplish? Because for the first time, really since the injury plagued year — what was that, ‘19 or ‘20 — we aren’t sitting here saying, “Hey, we can win a championship,” right? So that’s — I don’t need to say that. We all kind of know that, where we are, right at this second. And so I think we had to hash that out. We had to talk about all those things. One of the things I feel really strongly about is I want to get better. I want to lay a stronger foundation for next season that will carry forward for years to come, beyond when I’m here. I think that’s important to the franchise. I know that it’s important to Steph and Draymond. And frankly, this year, we, I think we got a little away from that. We got a little too loose, obviously, literally loose with the ball, but I think we, because of our age, because of our injuries, we spent a lot of time kind of resting and I got to tighten the ship next year. And so these were all parts of the conversation, but the idea is, let’s see how good we can be and we think we can still be good. We’ve got to get some guys back from injuries. We’ve got to make some moves. I’ve got to do some things, but let’s run it back. Let’s see how good we can be and I think we’re all really excited about that.

05:20 What does tightening the ship and laying a stronger foundation for the future look like for you?

05:25 Well, for me, it’s — and Mike and I have agreed on this — we have to fix the turnovers. I’ve literally been watching all of them from the season the last few days and that has to be an organizational-wide effort. Everything we’re doing in player development, we have to look at, fundamentals, decision-making. We’ve got to think of creative ways to implement things in practice that will help us become better decision-makers, but we know that where we are right now, we have to win on the margins. And we knew that last year. Coming in, we wanted to win the possession game, get extra offensive rebounds, limit our turnovers and we didn’t do a very good job of it. And so that’s on me and that’s on my staff to try to make that happen.

06:18 Steve, how much did you hear from Steph and Draymond while you were making a decision, talking to Joe, talking to Mike? How much did you hear from them, and how much input did they have?

06:28 I was in touch with both of them. They did not have any impact or influence on whether I was going to be the coach. And that’s a credit to them. I think one of the strong points of our organization is that our best player, who is one of the greatest players in the history of the game, is not telling Mike or Joe what to do. He understands the repercussions of that if he wanted to go down that path and it’s not healthy. It usually doesn’t work out well when a player tries to dictate what an organization does, so Steph has always recognized the sanctity of that wall that should exist, but we had a lot of discussions and talked about everything, talked about our team and some of the things I’ve just mentioned where we can get better. I know he wanted me to coach. I know I wanted to coach him and that mattered, but ultimately, we have a really special strong bond that should carry over into our success as a team. I think I have a better chance of coaching this team than anybody else because of that relationship, my relationship with Draymond, my intimate knowledge of our team and our organization. And as I said from the beginning, I still love what I do. If I were tired and burned out, then I would not be doing this, but I love my job. I love coaching the Warriors, being in this city, being in the Bay, so it all worked out.

08:13 Steve, as you literally watch every single turnover, how vast of philosophical changes need to happen to tighten those things up?

08:20 Well, there’s only so much you can change philosophically. It’s really more about the approach. It’s not so much about style of play. We actually changed our style quite a bit this year. We ran more five-out than we have ever before because of our personnel with Quinten and Al and Kristaps that, for the last 25 games, whatever, we haven’t had space-5s. This was also the first time we didn’t have an offensive rebounder at the 5 with Loon’s absence. It really changed the dynamics of our team quite a bit, but we changed quite a bit strategically. But you still have a personality as a team and as long as Steph and Draymond are part of that personality, you’re gonna see them do their thing, their two-man game that you saw against the Clippers that won that game. But we have to figure out the process of creating better possessions. We have to look at everything. That’s what we’re doing. Obviously, things were jumbled this year with all the injuries and made it difficult, but we can’t use that as an excuse. We have to go into next year with a really clear plan and our players have to be part of that this summer. It’s not like we’re gonna show up on October 1st and we’re gonna say, “Hey, here’s what we’re doing.” Like, I’m literally gonna be talking to our key stakeholders and leaders within the team and bouncing things off of them. And so you’ll see some differences, but basketball’s still basketball. It’s not like all of a sudden we’re going from the wishbone to the run-and-shoot. I don’t know. I mean, that was a terrible metaphor. That was good. Anyway, you can only change so much, but your process can lead to better decision-making, better fundamentals and that can lead to better possessions, and then you capture momentum from there.

10:28 I think within that,

10:30 as you watch the playoffs, aside from just talent, is there a certain type of players or trends that you’re seeing that could help you guys as well too?

10:37 Well, we’ve been really studying all those trends for years now. It’s what we do every summer. We have — every one of our assistant coaches is doing deep dives on what’s happening around the league. Analytics department is making suggestions and you’re seeing it around the league. You see the changes in the way people play. I think the example I’ve given you guys before is every coach I ever had, if I took an early shot in the — a jumper in transition they would say, “Don’t, that’s a bad shot.” It’s, “You can always get that shot.” And now we have analytics to prove that that was dead wrong, you know? The highest efficiency shots are the earliest ones in the shot clock and it’s not just throw ahead for layups like the old days. It’s throw ahead for threes. Those are really good shots and everybody’s trying to create early shots before the defense is set. We know that and we’re trying to do the same thing, so we have to match our personnel with what we’re working on this summer, what we’re implementing in the Fall and really be ready to roll that first day of camp.

11:51 Hey Steve, Steph likes to mention meaningful games, which I kind of think aligns with what you’ve been saying today. And you had — you guys had that moment in LA where, that very special moment. Is that kind of the chase right now, having those moments in —

12:05 Yeah, but we want more of them, you know? We wanna be able to feel that way consistently. This year was really weird because it felt like we were locked into 10th for about the last 10, 15 games. There was nowhere to go, up or down. Created a really weird situation where we went into that Clipper game without much of an edge. We weren’t healthy. We weren’t sharp. We hadn’t played a meaningful game and I think our team showed what they were made of by playing an incredible game, to pull that game out, literally meaningful basketball. And so I know it’s still in them and we’ve got some young players who have gained great experience, who are really getting better by the day and that’s exciting. And yeah, we wanna create a meaningful season where we are putting the best version of ourselves out there, winning games, putting ourselves in the hunt and then getting Moses, Jimmy back. And best-case scenario, we build that momentum and get guys back and we feel like we can make a run and that’s — when you do, that’s all you can ask.

13:26 Hi Steve, I have two sort of disparate questions. First, you’ve said a few times you wanna end this the right way with Steph and Draymond. How do you sort of balance that with obviously trying to reshape the team and get younger or move forward, fix some of the things you’ve talked about? What does that look like, I guess, anyway?

13:45 Yeah, I mean, I think the things I’ve been describing are what that looks like and I think that that means that we have to — we, meaning our staff, Steph, Dray, our veteran players — we have to be willing and open to some new thoughts and ideas about how we’re going about our day, our practice schedule study habits. Can we do more without taxing the players too much with their legs with all the games we play? Can we implement some things? Can we just be sharper? And strategically, if there’s a couple changes, can you guys get out of your comfort zone a little bit and embrace something different? And it’s not gonna be dramatic, but it’s enough where, if we’re gonna win on the margins, then everybody has to be open to the fact that we’ve gotta get better. And I will tell every player that I look in the mirror first. I’ve gotta be better next year and I’m excited about the challenge, but I’m gonna ask them to be better, too.

14:55 And sort of a non-basketball question, but you acknowledged in the New Yorker interview that you needed to soften your tone sometimes on your political comments and that became a talking point a bit the last three weeks or whatever while you were deciding. Did that, how much — was that part of these conversations?

15:11 No.

15:11 And did you — how are you gonna do that going forward? I mean, how are you viewing that whole issue?

15:17 It never came up. I think I’ve learned over the years the balance and I think for the most part, I’ve found a good balance where I can speak my mind on things that are really important to me and represent the franchise in a dignified way. And that literally never came up. That was not a part of the conversation at all in terms of whether I was coming back or not.

15:49 How would you describe kind of your relationship with Joe and the complexities of — clearly some of the conversations at the high level are Joe’s vision of the future and the grandness and where this is all going and the end of this era. Just how would you just kind of describe that?

16:04 I think Joe, Joe and I have great respect for each other. I mean, I was here as a player all those years out at Oracle when the crowd was loving it and the team was lousy, you know? It just was, I mean, the team did not have what it has now, which is strong, really strong leadership, incredible infrastructure and a vision for winning. Everyone booed Joe when he said we’re gonna win a title or we’re gonna we’re trading Monta, whatever it was, right? But you can’t argue with the results. Like, Joe came in here and he built a pretty incredible organization on the business side, on the basketball side. And we’ve had a great partnership. Doesn’t mean we always agree, nor should we. We want to be pushing each other and the only thing I would reveal from our our conversations — and I don’t think he would mind if I shared this — but we were talking about our injuries and how this is the first time where we can’t realistically just say, “Hey, let’s win a title next year,” you know? And he just said, “You know, I’m the owner and I can’t help but just say, I expect to be in the playoffs every year and have a shot.” And frankly, that’s one of the reasons why we have done that. It’s because of his vision and his passion and I admire that. I love that. I think he sees the same thing in me. We’re both incredibly competitive and he’s gonna be frustrated with things that I do and I’m gonna be frustrated with his reaction sometimes on the sideline if he’s upset with something. We’re — like, that’s all part of it, but we have great respect for one another and we share the exact same goal and that’s ultimately why I’m coming back because if that didn’t exist, then this would have ended.

18:05 Steve, in the ESPN story, it sounds like your family pretty much universally wanted you to keep coaching.

18:12 Yeah.

18:13 A lot of other people did, too. How much influence did other people’s opinions have and did sometimes you think they could see that this was where you were supposed to be, better than you could see it?

18:25 Well, yeah, my daughter, I think, she — it may have been in the article, but she said, “Dad, don’t focus on the two or three things you don’t like about your job, focus on the hundred things you do like.” And she said, “You know, most of us don’t love everything about our jobs.” I was like, “Yeah, that’s true.” It hurts when your kids tell you the truth and you realize they’re smarter than you. I was also reminded of a great story. It was like 25 years ago. There was a baseball player who retired. He said he wanted to spend more time with his family and then a year later he came back. And they, the media, when he came back, he said, “What happened?” He said, “Well, I wanted to spend more time with my family, but I realized my family didn’t wanna spend more time with me.” There was a little bit of that in there, too. It’s a very healthy separation when I fly off on a 10-day road trip and I’m really kidding on that stuff. My family knows me better than anybody. I’m happiest when I’m on the court with my players, when I’m collaborating with Mike and the organization. And I love this. And even through the struggles this year, I love the struggle. I love the challenge. And what Margot said to me, if you leave, you can come back and coach, but you can never coach the Warriors again. That was the most meaningful thing because I love the Warriors. I love Steph and Dray and the guys and rick Celebrini and Mike and our crew, Eric Housen and then Bert (Ortiz). And I mean, I can go down the list and there’s people, when I walk into that building every day, who I love and admire and who I know share the same values and desire for us to win. And it’s an incredibly exciting and enlivening feeling to have that and I wasn’t ready to walk away.

20:28 Also, the Clippers game was amazing and you said we were us for one night, but if that game hadn’t happened, could this not be taking place? I mean, did you need to see it again right before you were about to make this decision?

20:46 It helped. I can’t — I couldn’t tell you if that hadn’t happened, I couldn’t predict. I think I would still be here, but you do live for those types of moments and it’s something you — it’s hard to describe how awesome and just exhilarating it is to to coach and to win a game and to see everything come together and it’s one of the reasons we all have trouble walking away. And I don’t wanna be the guy who can’t walk away, so a lot of that went through my mind. It was a time to really think, but I’m still pretty young. I still, I’ve got a lot of energy. I love what I do. It made sense to keep going and so I’m excited.

21:51 Steve, going off of that and — over this way — trying to know when to walk away and knowing when it’s time, with this being a two-year deal, do you see that as, okay, at the end of these two years, that’s gonna be it? Or do you leave the door open?

22:03 Yeah, I mean, the way the NBA works, I could get fired a week into it, who knows? I mean, you just don’t even think about that stuff. And I think this year was such an obvious inflection point for the franchise. It’s why we deliberated. It’s why we really gave it a lot of thought. And I think, as I said, we came to a really clear path of, let’s really recommit to this group and how we’re operating and what we’re trying to do and make sure our foundation is strong and that it’s setting up whatever’s next because we have to be looking forward, but I can’t predict any of that.

22:56 Fired a weekend for not playing the rookie. I’m just kidding. I did wanna ask about that, though.

23:02 Yeah.

23:02 Let’s say you guys use the 11th pick.

23:04 Yeah.

23:05 Should theoretically have minutes available with Jimmy and Moses being down, but how, considering where everything’s at, how committed do you feel like you’re gonna need to be to, like, the development —

23:14 Totally.

23:15 ...of that Lottery pick?

23:16 I think that’s a huge factor and I think we’re in a different place now, right? There’s no question. And I’ve talked to Mike. I mean, I don’t know the Draft, but he feels really strongly that we’re gonna get a good player. It could be a 19-year-old, it could be someone older. It’s obvious where we are with the injuries to Moses and Jimmy. You look at our depth on the wings. That guy has to play and he’s gotta earn it, you know? But we’re committed to, absolutely, the development of our young players and trying to do this thing in a way that allows for success down the road. “Down the road,” meaning the end of next season and beyond and we’re excited about that.

24:08 So Steve, what did Obama wanna know about Kuminga?

24:16 That was when he was a free agent, so it was last summer and we have a mutual friend. And we had dinner and he literally walked up and just, “What’s gonna happen with Kuminga?” It was like he was talking about the contract, you know?

24:33 On a even more serious note, you mentioned this, Mike has mentioned this, it seems like all cards were on the table during your conversations. And there is a reality, especially because of the injuries that you’ve talked about several times, a championship may not be a realistic expectation next year. So what do you think success looks like for next season?

24:56 I think it looks like recommitting to our values and our process. I think the last couple years, frankly, have been difficult with the age, collective age of our team, the injuries. I think we had, like, six guys this year who either couldn’t play back-to-backs or were on minutes restrictions often at the same time and I think I really, frankly, gave everyone too much leeway this year. It just felt like we were constantly resting everybody and just trying to survive to the next game and have enough healthy bodies. And we talked about that in our meetings and we have to address that. It may mean walkthroughs, it may mean written tests, it may mean more video work. Hopefully, it also means more time on the court. We need that, but we, I think, we lost some of our discipline and we got a little loose and that’s my job. And if we can go into the season with a really clear vision of what we’re trying to do on the court, everybody is tight and committed and we get the process going, that’s what will lead to success. And so I can’t sit here and predict anything, wins and losses, but what success means to me is rededicating ourselves to a process where we’re gonna put in the work and we’re gonna get better.

26:38 With Terry Stotts and Jerry Stackhouse departing, just what’d they kinda mean to your coaching staff and what’s sort of the plan to replace them?

26:45 They were both fantastic. Terry told me six weeks ago, probably, what his plans were and I kinda had an inkling he may coach again. I think he just recognized it felt like a good time for him to leave and either take some time or see what other opportunities are out there. He’s still got great energy and phenomenal human being and I really valued my time with him, looked forward to seeing him every day and collaborating and we’re gonna miss Terry. And obviously I wish him well. And then Stack, two years coming in here as a former player, a guy with head coaching experience at the collegiate level. I loved what he brought, his voice in front of the team, the conviction he has as a coach, as a man. He wants to be a head coach and so we’re looking at some candidates. We’re also looking to promote from within. I’ve already spoken with a couple people on the outside and that process will continue here the next couple weeks.

28:05 Steve, you mentioned you talked to Steph and Draymond during the process here. How important was it to just do that, to hear what they had to say? You knew how you felt. You kinda knew how they felt, but just to, voice-to-voice, how important was that?

28:20 That was very important. Yeah, I mean, it was, those — we’ve been together for 12 years now, so it goes beyond just coach/player. It’s family, you know? And so those conversations were important and I just liked that everybody was very honest and open. And I think both of those guys showed me the respect of just saying, “Hey, you know, we want you to be excited about this and we want you to be happy, but it’s your decision.”

29:00 And do you have any idea — I don’t know if you’ve spoken with them or not — what’s ahead for Al and KP?

29:08 Oh, in terms of, like, contract stuff?

29:11 Yeah.

29:11 Yeah, yeah. Just whether they will be interested in coming back and so forth.

29:15 Well, I had an exit meeting with Al a couple days after the season ended. Obviously, we want him back. It’s his option as with the player option. I know he really enjoys it here. I know his family loves it here. I’m hoping he’s back and Kristaps, actually, we did not have an exit meeting. I gave him a pass on the exit meeting because he had to fly somewhere, like, the next day after our season ended. And I do that frequently with veteran players. There’s only so much you need to discuss. He’s obviously unrestricted. I’d love to have him back. I know he enjoyed it here and he’s a really talented player and I thought showed an awful lot for our team. And I’d love to have them both back, but we have to just see how it plays out.

30:12 Coach, before you were in here, Mike was in here talking about, “Yeah, we gotta fix the turnovers.”

30:16 Mhmm.

30:16 And I just wonder, with all the success you’ve had, how challenging is it for you on a personal note, as you self-reflect on the season, “I’ve gotta get better,” and then hearing it from when you’re having those discussions with Mike and Joe that maybe a little thing here or there needs to improve. How easy is that for you to digest it and say, “Yeah, they’re right, I need to fix this and that”?

30:35 Yeah, those are great conversations. And as I said earlier, I mean, we are in a partnership. We all want the exact same thing and one of the things that I think is most important when you’re in a position of leadership is listening and not taking stuff personally and feeling offended, and understanding that when you’re in partnership with people you have to listen. Not that I needed any arm twisting to fix our turnovers. I’m well aware that that was a big problem for us this year, but I think it’s just important to take everybody’s thoughts and advice and try to come up with the best solution. That’s always been the way I’ve coached and operated. And I think we have — what’s exciting and very challenging, we have a lot to figure out this summer. And I’ve been talking about it just in terms of our process and how we’re gonna do it because it’s not as simple as it sounds, obviously. We’ve gotta really think about our whole process and how we can implement enough change to make it make an impact.

31:51 Steve, on a serious note — this way, other way, right here — are there any concerts that you’re planning on going to this off-season, so we have lyrics to watch for?

32:00 That didn’t sound that serious to me. I’m a big Counting Crows fan, so yeah, you, if you pay attention next year, who knows? You might hear a little Adam Duritz, so...

32:15 How disappointed were you in the beat writers’ —

32:20 I’m sorry?

32:21 How disappointed were you in the beat writers’ lack of knowledge of Taylor Swift songs?

32:26 It was pretty well-coordinated and camouflaged, so yeah. I think the only one that might have been obvious was when I — not obvious, but revealing — was when I complimented Janie (McCauley) on her scarf and the word scarf was in the song that I was quoting. And pretty sure I’ve never mentioned the word scarf before in any of our sessions together, so I had a little fun with that. That was my internal family humor that is no longer internal, but that’s okay.

33:05 Just, you’ve mentioned a couple times that it’s kind of unrealistic to think, like, a title is ahead, but where are you at on the roster and can you guys get back there? What do you — what’s needed and, I guess, how accepting are some of your veterans of that reality?

33:26 Well, I mean, this is, these were conversations that we had. What are some of the things that we can do? We don’t really know and that’s obviously Mike’s department, but nothing happens right now. But I know that mike and Joe are committed to putting the best roster on the floor. I do think it’s important that we don’t have the vast number of players who couldn’t play back-to-backs this past — we can’t do that again. It’s too hard to build continuity, so we need some younger legs, for sure. We know that. How do you do that? It’s a difficult job and so that’s up to Mike and obviously I will — he will consult with me on moves and we’ll hash that stuff out, but I just, I feel very strongly that what we have here is something special and strong. And despite the injuries, we can have a year where we get back in the hunt and I’m confident of that.

34:26 When you think about the vacancies on your staff and thinking about internal, external candidates, regardless of where they’re coming from, what kind of qualities are you looking for your future top lieutenants?

34:38 Well, you’re always looking for the best people. We did lose our two defensive coordinators this year in CD (Chris DeMarco) and Stack, so I’d like to bring in somebody with a strong defensive mind, but you’re always looking for the very best people out there. And every summer is different based on who’s available, but you’re always keeping your eye out. And so we’ve been doing that and we’ll see how it plays out.

35:16 Draymond’s future is kind of probably the most up-in-the-air over the next month-and-a-half. You said you had conversations within this. How do you still view his future and the possibility of him finishing here?

35:31 Well, he — the number one thing is, it’s up to him. He has a player option, so he’s gotta go through that with his agent. How that plays out, I am committed to coaching him, coaching Steph, obviously, for as long as they’re here and I look at them as collaborators. And what we’ve built is pretty special, so rare for a coach and two players to be together for 12 years as a trio. It’s remarkable, really, so I’m ready to coach Draymond and it’s — we’ll see how it all plays out. It’s really more up to him than anything and we’ll see how the contract stuff happens. Thanks a lot.