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Kerr let Warriors run their own plays since he wasn't getting through

Cary Edmondson-USA TODAY Sports / Action Images

Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr knew he wasn't getting through to his players, so he decided to try something new.

Kerr handed the clipboard to his players in Monday's game against the Phoenix Suns. He called the rotation, but it was up to the likes of Andre Iguodala, David West, and Draymond Green to call the plays.

The gambit worked, as the Warriors returned to their typical dominance with a 129-83 victory over the Phoenix Suns.

"It's their team, and that's one of the first things you have to consider as a coach. It's not your team, it's not (general manager) Bob Myers' team, it's not (team owner) Joe Lacob's team ... it's the players' team and they have to take ownership of it," Kerr told Anthony Slater of The Athletic.

"As coaches, our job is to nudge them in the right direction, guide them, we don't control them. They determine their own fate. I don't feel like we focused very well at all over the last month, and it just seemed like the right thing to do."

It was rather clear what Kerr's intentions were, although he did receive some backlash for the rather brazen and potentially disrespectful nature of his move. It couldn't be a coincidence that he picked a soft opponent like the Phoenix Suns, without Devin Booker no less, to try his tactic.

Kerr said he meant no disrespect by it, and was shockingly transparent in his assessment of how he wasn't getting through to his players. He explained his intentions to Suns coach Jay Triano and shared his feelings to the press afterwards.

"It had nothing to do with being disrespectful. It had to do with me trying to reach my team. I had not reached them for the last month. They're tired of my voice, I'm tired of my voice. It's been a long haul these last few years," Kerr said.

"I wasn't reaching them, and we figured it was probably a good night to pull a trick out of the hat and do something different. I thought the players responded really well. I feel like when we are focused, we're really hard to beat. Tonight we were focused."

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