We have a guy in our newsroom (his name is J. Darin Darst, but you didn't hear that from me) who is adamant that coaching in the NBA doesn't matter. "When Gregg Popovich takes the Sixers to the Finals," he loves to say, "then you can tell me what a great coach he is." 

Darsty, of course, isn't alone in thinking NBA coaches play a rather insignificant role in their teams' respective successes or failures -- that it is, indeed, all about the players. When the news came out that the Warriors are expecting Steve Kerr to miss the remainder of the playoffs, one of the first comments I came across in our story read, "I don't see Kerr as being special, anyone could coach a loaded team like that, next coach up."

I suspect, as these playoffs continue, the Warriors will only bolster this line of thinking with their play. I don't expect them to miss much of a beat without Kerr, just as they didn't at the beginning of last season when they started 24-0 under Luke Walton as Kerr was laid up with the same back troubles he's having now. All told, since Kerr took over in 2015, Golden State is 41-4 without him, including 2-0 in these playoffs. 

To some, the Warriors' success in Kerr's absence diminishes the value of his presence. 

To me, it's the exact opposite. 

Like a good parent, Kerr has raised this team right. Molded it. Taken it from the loose screw it was under Mark Jackson to the tight ship it is now. Most of Kerr's work, with this particular roster, is done at this point. The offense, once a portrait of isolation frustration, is a self-sustaining machine. Stephen Curry, as accountable as the next guy under Kerr's fair but strict hand, has achieved a nearly perfect blend of reckless control. Draymond Green, even as his star has continued to rise, has accepted his third- or even fourth-wheel scoring role because Kerr is a world-class communicator. It was Kerr, remember, who massaged Andre Iguodala's move to the bench, which had an almost immeasurable impact on shoring up this roster. All of this combined established a foundation that has allowed Kevin Durant to look like he has been with these guys his whole career. 

People forget that before Kerr showed up, the Warriors were barely a 50-win team. In 2013-14, they were three games from missing the playoffs entirely. In 2014-15, Kerr's first season, with basically the same roster Jackson had, the Warriors won 67 games and the championship. Last season they won an NBA-record 73 games. A two-year jump like that doesn't happen by accident. Don't tell me coaching doesn't matter. 

In fact, outside of Curry, I would venture to say nobody has had more to do with what this team has become than Kerr. You could make a strong argument for president of basketball operations and general manager Bob Myers, as he has constructed a flawless roster with a core of homegrown parts. But again, outside of signing Curry to that steal of a $44 million deal back in 2012, the best move Myers has made is hiring Kerr. 

It's not to say Kerr wasn't dealt a premium hand. He certainly was. He has a top-notch staff. A progressive front office. An embarrassment of talent to work with. Kerr will be the first to tell you that there isn't a coach in the world who has anything to do with Curry dribbling in circles before dropping a 30-foot bomb. But the thing about getting dealt a premium hand is you still have to play it. And Kerr has played his brilliantly. 

And sure, now the Warriors are pretty much sitting on a nut straight. And who couldn't win with that? Certainly Mike Brown can. At this point, I would argue any coach in the NBA could win with this team. But don't make the mistake of thinking this is somehow a knock on Kerr. Starting Tuesday against Utah, when Curry and Durant start doing their thing, when Green and Klay Thompson start spitting and shooting fire, don't be the guy saying, "See, I told you. Coaching doesn't matter." Understand that the kids are fine on their own because they were taught well.