Coaching and player development concerns overlap across NBA and WNBA.
WNBA GM Agrees With Steve Kerr’s Bold Stance on Practice originally appeared on Athlon Sports.
Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr sent shockwaves through NBA circles this week when he spoke candidly about the league’s inability to properly be a “developmental league” and how it has limited his ability to practice with young players.
Kerr, a four-time champion since taking over Golden State in 2014, described feeling miscast in this new era where games now come every other day and practice time has essentially disappeared.
His remarks sparked immediate ripple effects, including agreement from Curt Miller, the former Los Angeles Sparks and Connecticut Sun coach and current general manager of the Dallas Wings.
While sharing his frustrations on “The Glue Guys” podcast with co-host Shane Battier, Kerr emphasized that he relies heavily on his younger assistants to handle player development, as his old-school roots were built around repetition and on-court instruction.
Kerr recalled earlier NBA seasons when schedules allowed for two crisp practices between stretches of games, calling it far more conducive to shaping rookies coming out of long college careers.
Without that runway, he believes franchises are being forced to teach on the fly, which puts pressure on young stars to swim while still learning how to tread water.
Curt Miller Echoes Concerns From a WNBA Perspective
When Curt Miller heard Steve Kerr’s comments, he immediately recognized the dilemma.
Miller, who spent nine seasons coaching in the WNBA before joining the Dallas Wings’ front office as general manager in November 2024, seems to agree with Kerr's shared thoughts that the biggest adjustment to the professional ranks stemmed from barely practicing compared to his time at the college level.
He believes the modern WNBA schedule makes it difficult not only to install systems but also to foster chemistry, especially when trying to mold young players into long-term contributors.
This was my biggest adjustment as a coach coming into the W… you practice very little, certainly way less than college in terms of duration or intensity. You adapt & figure out quickly how to develop teams/players w/o much practice. https://t.co/NvUfEMykMK
— Curt Miller (@CurtMillerWBB) August 16, 2025
Kerr pointed out that back-to-backs and tight travel windows have reduced most practices to walkthroughs or film sessions, giving coaches little chance to correct mistakes on the hardwood itself.
A perfect example of arrested player development could be highlighted by Warriors forward Jonathan Kuminga, a 22-year-old former lottery pick who has endured uneven court time while trying to develop without steady repetition.
A Growing Developmental Crisis Across Professional Basketball
Kerr’s willingness to publicly acknowledge his discomfort highlights the widening gap between the demands of elite basketball and the infrastructure in place to support player development. The NBA and WNBA now prize youth and athleticism more than ever, yet their regular-season structures provide few opportunities to slow down and actually teach.
For a veteran with championship expectations like Kerr, this creates a delicate balancing act between developing players like Kuminga and remaining competitive with a win-now core.
In the WNBA, Miller contends that franchises face similar hurdles as promising young stars enter the league without the robust practice schedules they enjoyed in college programs.
The end result is a paradox: players are younger, more talented and more heavily invested in yet receive less of the actual practice time needed to unlock their full potential.
Until league calendars shift or proactive coaches pioneer new development strategies that can thrive in limited environments, both Kerr and Miller warn that true practice might remain a relic of a bygone era.
The debate is forcing leaders across both leagues to rethink how they prepare the next generation, even as competition demands results before the learning curve is complete.
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This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Aug 16, 2025, where it first appeared.
Category: Basketball
