Follow me on Twitter @WilliamGMcCray to keep up on the latest!
Well these good home games are not coming with out some drama for the Warriors. The abrupt firing of an assistant coach is almost unheard of so it had to be serious. All kind of rumors are floating around, but no one really knows just what went down. In the press room one reporter said he heard it was a similar situation that happen with a trainer that was taking players money, jewelry, and other valuables right out of the locker room during games. The team was devastated to learn there was a Judas among them. The jury is still out on the real reason Darren Erman had to hit the road jack. However, Obnoxious Media has learned the Warriors front office are brining in investigators and criminal charges might be filed.
Checkout the details below:
The Warriors fired assistant coach Darren Erman because of what the team called “a violation of company policy,” making him the second assistant to leave the bench in as many weeks.
General manager Bob Myers said firing Erman was not a basketball decision, but rather one made by the organization and unrelated to the recent reassignment of assistant coach Brian Scalabrine. Myers would only indicate that Erman, 37, had committed a serious violation that he declined to reveal.
“We hold all of our employees to the same standard,” Myers said, adding that the team’s general counsel and human resources department became involved following the violation.
“We were unaware, and when made aware, forced to act,” Myers said
Golden State Warriors’ Harrison Barnes (40) drives inside Sacramento Kings’ Jared Cunningham (9) in the first quarter of their game at Oracle Arena in Oakland on April 4, 2014.
Myers called the timing “unfortunate” as the Warriors look to clinch a playoff berth with six regular-season games remaining. Myers said the decision was made Friday evening to fire Erman, who coached his final game in the Warriors‘ win against Sacramento and was informed of his dismissal Saturday morning.
Head coach Mark Jackson said he remained confident in his staff, which now is down to three assistant coaches following his decision to remove Scalabrine from the bench last week due to a “difference in philosophies” along with Erman’s firing.
“He made a mistake,” Jackson said of Erman. “He owns it. He’s done a lot for me. He’s done a lot for this organization, and I’m pulling for him to make a comeback. I’m pulling for him to move on and become a great coach, and I believe that can happen.
“It’s just tough. I’m pulling for him. The right decision was made, and we move forward, but certainly I’m pulling for him to bounce back and get back on the road that he was on.”
Erman, who did not return messages seeking comment, had been highly regarded in the organization as Jackson and Myers expressed appreciation for his contributions. He spent three years with the Warriors, including the past two seasons as an assistant coach. He served as the Warriors head coach at the NBA Summer League in Las Vegas and led that team to an undefeated record. Previously, he spent four years as a Boston Celtics coaching assistant.
Jackson felt his team would continue to be successful despite the loss of the two assistants.
“This is not the norm,” Jackson said. “That’s OK because really in both decisions, the right decisions were made. You move forward. To me, I think it’s a great time for us as a team and an organization. To still be standing, this isn’t new. It’s new to you guys. It’s not new to us. So to still be standing, still winning and still in our right minds says a lot about this culture.
“A great pastor said, ‘You cannot fix the foundation in the middle of a storm. It’s too late then.’ The foundation has been laid, and it’s going to hold up.”
Guard Klay Thompson agreed that Erman’s dismissal would not affect the as it closes in on the 50-win mark and a trip to the playoffs.
“We’ll miss Erm, but there was a policy violated, so it’s part of the business,” Thompson said.
Myers, who did not address the media immediately after Jackson’s decision to remove Scalabrine, made the announcement of Erman’s firing during practice. After practice ended, Myers gave Jackson a vote of confidence.
“We believe that Mark is fully capable, and we’re confident in his ability to keep going in the right direction, keep propelling us like he has all year, and we believe that he’s going to continue to be successful,” Myers said. “We believe in his ability the rest of the way.”
Andrew Bogut (pelvic/groin contusion) and David Lee (strained right hamstring) went through a light practice and were listed as questionable for Sunday’s game against Utah. Jackson said the results of the MRI exam from Lee were positive. He has been unable to play the past two weeks after suffering the strain.
“He should be healthy and whole soon,” Jackson said.
