PORTLAND, Ore. — In July, after Luke Walton left to become the Lakers’ head coach, the Warriors made a curious hire: Mike Brown.
Though perhaps overqualified to be the lead assistant for an NBA team, Brown hadn’t coached in two years. His obsessive style was in stark contrast to the easygoing Walton’s. Many wondered why Steve Kerr would replace an offensive-minded assistant with Brown, a defensive guru, when Golden State already had Ron Adams — arguably the NBA’s top defensive assistant — on staff.