Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr spent day one of camp out in Laie, Hawaii, drilling transition defense, calling the live work controlled with possessions only going up and back maybe three times max. But let’s be real, anybody who sat through last season watching this team give up layups like they were handing out free samples at Costco knows that defense has to snap out of the funk it’s been in. And most of the optimism for that happening this fall belongs to a new face: associate head coach Frank Vogel.
The “Teeth” Vogel Is Bringing to the Bay
Vogel rolled into town to run the Warriors’ defense, and his pitch for taking the job was simple, direct, and exactly what this squad needs. “You want your defense to have teeth,” he told the SF Chronicle. He knows what he’s talking about, too, remembering how Draymond Green used to scare the hell out of him every time his old teams played the Warriors. Vogel’s confident about what’s ahead for this group, even if he’s playing his cards close to his chest right now. He’s not hunting for credit; he’s just hyped to be in this role, supporting Steve Kerr, and helping Steph and Draymond get another shot at a ring. Seriously, Green, that nine-time All-Defensive supercomputer, was a “big reason” Vogel even took the job. That’s a massive vote of confidence in the heart of their defense right there.
New System, Big Goals, and Who’s Punching First
It’s not going to be an easy road for Vogel to implement a new defensive system. He’s got to do it without key wing defenders Butler and Moody, who are both rehabbing knee injuries. Still, he sees a path forward. Guard De’Anthony Melton is already echoing Vogel’s message, saying the defense will have “teeth” and that the goal at media day is nothing less than a top-3 defense in the league. When asked why that’s even realistic, Melton pointed to key additions. “We got more size at positions that we needed it,” he said, before laying down the law with what’s clearly a team mantra now: “We got to punch first.” That’s the kind of gritty attitude this defense has been missing.
This isn’t the first time the Warriors needed a defensive jolt. Back in the day, the Warriors I remember from my youth were all about run and gun, trying to score 120 but giving up 135. When Kerr got asked years ago how he turned the Warriors into a defensive team, he completely refused the credit. “I didn’t; Mark Jackson did,” Kerr said, remembering how bad their defense looked from the broadcast booth before Jackson arrived. Jackson’s last two seasons tell the story: in 2012-13, they were giving up 105.5 points per 100 possessions, which was 14th in the league. A year later, they dropped that to 102.6, jumping ten spots to 4th overall. That’s an astronomical jump, and it came from Jackson drilling connectivity, grit, and consistency with guys like Andrew Bogut patrolling the paint, Andre Iguodala locked in, and a young fireball named Draymond Green learning how to be a problem. Then Jackson was fired, Kerr walked in, and the 2014-15 Warriors posted a 101.4 defensive rating, No. 1 in the NBA. Kerr still didn’t take credit.
Now, with Vogel in charge, the Warriors are hoping for that same kind of defensive transformation. Can they really get to a top-3 defense, even with injuries to key wing players? We’re about to find out, but one thing is clear: if they’re going to compete for another ring, that defense needs to start biting hard.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Golden State of Mind.
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