April 18, 2015; Oakland, CA, USA; Golden State Warriors assistant coach Luke Walton (left) and head coach Steve Kerr (right) react during the second quarter in game one of the first round of the NBA Playoffs against the New Orleans Pelicans at Oracle Arena. The Warriors defeated the Pelicans 106-99. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
When the Pelicans and Warriors meet Tuesday night, both teams will be coached by assistants from last year's Warriors team. Kyle Terada USA TODAY Sports
When his back surgery was first announced back in July, the expectation for Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr was that the procedure wouldn't limit his ability to coach or travel with the team. That changed when Kerr took a leave of absence from the team earlier this month, with assistant Luke Walton taking on the head coaching responsibilities in the preseason.
On Saturday, Warriors general manager Bob Myers announced that Kerr would not coach Golden State in the team's season opener on Tuesday. Instead, Walton will continue in his role as interim coach:
The Warriors play the New Orleans Pelicans on Tuesday. The Pelicans, of course, hired former Warriors assistant Alvin Gentry as their head coach this offseason. New Orleans and Golden State met in the first round of the 2015 playoffs, which the Warriors swept.
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