Mark Jackson Doesn’t Regret Guaranteeing the Playoffs for the Warriors


Back in June, first year head coach Mark Jackson boldly guaranteed that his Golden State Warriors would make the Playoffs this season. That, obviously, didn’t come to fruition, but Jackson says he has no regrets about the claim. But it’s worth noting that he didn’t dare make the same promise for next year’s Warriors. From the San Fran Chronicle: “A night after being mathematically eliminated from the playoffs, Warriors coach Mark Jackson said Thursday that he doesn’t regret having guaranteed a postseason berth in his first season. ‘If I had to do it all over again, I’d come in talking the same mess,’ Jackson said said before the Warriors’ 112-103 loss to Dallas at Oracle Arena. ‘I wouldn’t have said it if I didn’t believe it, but it also raised the bar for our expectations across the board. It’d be easy to come in and talk about a long process and needing a long time to get it right, but that’s not what I signed up for. I’ll take the criticism and the heat that comes with it, but I came in with a mind-set to change the culture,’ Jackson said. ‘When you’re changing the culture, there are going to be some tough spots. Obviously, it hasn’t been the season that we wanted it to be, but we’re excited about what the future holds.’ […] The Warriors were led by David Lee, who had 30 points and eight rebounds, and Klay Thompson added 24 points and career highs with seven rebounds and eight assists. The duo hopes to be joined next season by healthy Andrew Bogut and Stephen Curry, so how about another playoff promise? ‘Growing and maturing,’ Jackson said. ‘No comment.'”