Saying that new Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr will thrive in areas where the recently fired Mark Jackson fell short could be perceived as a relative statement.

After all, Jackson helped produce the most wins (51) since the 1975-1976 season and the third-highest total in franchise history. He also orchestrated consecutive postseason campaigns for the first time in 22 years.

Furthermore, Andrew Bogut—the Warriors’ leading defender and rebounder—was not available for the first-round series versus the Los Angeles Clippers and their loaded frontline. Jackson dealt with a similarly undermanned unit at a few other key points this year as well (see: Andre Iguodala).

All told, the players loved him, the media adored him and Jackson still had one year left on his contract—one year to at least try and prove to the front office that he could elevate this squad for the third straight year in a stacked Western Conference.

But ownership—with whom a compatible relationship never existed—felt that Jackson hit his ceiling as a head coach, citing consistent underachievement, among other things. The suits upstairs therefore opted against giving him that opportunity.

So the considerable undertaking now falls onto Kerr’s shoulders, a man who has never held such a position in his entire basketball life.

The pertinent question, of course, is can he do it? Can the former general manager and five-time NBA champion as a player eclipse Jackson’s shortcomings and bring this organization its fourth championship?

Warriors owner Joe Lacob—by the very virtue of this hiring and his well-documented expectations—believes Kerr is up for the task. The same goes for the roster as presently constituted.

Okay, we won’t go that far. But Kerr does still qualify as an upgrade over Jackson.

Let’s boil it down to two primary reasons.

Smartest Guy in the Room—Because He Isn’t The Only One

We’ll get to that oxymoronic statement in just a moment.

But first off, what kind of relationships did Jackson cultivate with assistant coaches throughout his tenure with Golden State?

The answer, sadly enough, would be the same if ‘assistant coaches’ were replaced with ‘upper management.’

Jackson forged untenable connections with both superiors above him and subordinates under his command.

Last year, he and top assistant Michael Malone would reportedly not speak to each other for weeks at a time. Malone, now the Sacramento Kings head coach, was the savvy X’s and O’s guy who actually drew up plays. He therefore was a threat to Jackson’s authority.

Fast forward to 2013-2014 and one finds more of the same. Jackson reassigned the bright and up-and-coming Brian Scalabrine to the Warriors’ D-League affiliate for alleged insubordination. The instability-laden environment further materialized when management fired assistant Darren Erman for secretly recording conversations between coaches and players.

While the two incidents are technically unrelated, they do speak to an atmosphere rife with fear, insecurity and general incompatibility. Throw in the non-existent relationship between Jackson and assistant general manager Kirk Lacob, and soon the entire organizational leadership becomes totally chaotic.

In short, Jackson got along with his players—and that’s it.

The Warriors new head coach, on the other hand, exists on the diametrically opposite end of the spectrum.

Kerr is the antithesis of a me-first persona. He isn’t threatened by authority, power or general basketball intelligence.

As a player, he meshed seamlessly with Michael Jordan’s Chicago Bulls. After winning three titles with Jordan and Co., including hitting a game-winner himself, he brought nothing but humility and professionalism to the Gregg Popovich-coached San Antonio Spurs. He simply fell right in line with the group of established veterans, helping them win two championships as a key but humble reserve.

Those types of amicable relationships continued to exist when Kerr became general manager of the Phoenix Suns. He delegated when appropriate, took charge when necessary and was beloved by everyone in the organization.

So now that he’s running things on the hardwood for Golden State, Kerr will surround himself with capable and experienced assistant coaches. He’ll bring in basketball minds that can offer expertise in areas beyond his already exceptional IQ for the game.

Moreover, Kerr will sit down with each and every one of the players. He understands that he’s inheriting a squad that fully supported his predecessor. Whether it’s Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Andrew Bogut or whomever, he’ll establish player-coach relationships that thrive both on and off the court.

Which brings us to our next point…

Talent Maximization—Not Stagnation

It’s clear that Kerr endeared himself to Warriors ownership with his personable demeanor and general good nature.

He and Joe Lacob had also known each other through mutual friends, so the connection was there from a social, “can-I-work-with-this-guy-off-the-court” type of standpoint.

But what about Kerr’s proficiency for doing everything required in coaching the actual game?

Said Lacob to Sam Amick of USA Today:

"Yes, it's true, (Kerr) has not coached before. But…he is incredibly prepared…Every detail you can imagine. He knew our roster in and out. He had assistant coaches he wanted to go after. It was like a tour de force. Look, at the end of the day I know he knows a lot about basketball…[It's] just about finding the right fit for the organization and a guy who has extremely high potential, is a hard worker and is very prepared. That's what we have got."

With all due respect, aside from the lack of experience, does this sound much like the previous head coach?

Jackson, as a former point guard who played at a very high level for many years, obviously knew the game. He was a phenomenal leader, a fantastic “player’s coach” who earned the love and support of the entire Warriors roster.

He certainly deserves ample credit for developing the backcourt duo of Curry and Thompson. The same goes for elevating the team as a whole into a unit with the fourth-best defensive efficiency rating this year.

Yet, as positive as all that might appear, it wasn’t nearly enough. Jackson didn’t come close to maximizing the talent of this extremely talented personnel grouping.

To wit, the offense would continually devolve into total stagnation: Isolation sets with zero ball movement and improper spacing that failed to utilize passing-capable big men and the Association’s most lethal shooters.

Moreover, much of this offensive futility derived from a lack of preparation and knowledge of play-calling fundamentals. And worst of all, the Warriors blew seven—yes, seven—games against inferior opponents this season due to Jackson’s deficient coaching.

Four of these included matchups at home versus the Minnesota Timberwolves, Washington Wizards, Cleveland Cavaliers, Denver Nuggets (twice) and an undermanned Spurs unit that rested most of its starters on December 19.

That’s mind-numbingly unacceptable. Even if the Warriors won just over half of those games (say, four), they would have secured a 55-27 record and the No. 4 seed in the West. What could have been home-court advantage and a series win against the Portland Trail Blazers turned into a first-round loss to a dominant Clippers team on the road.

The players deserve some blame for these underachieving-riddled performances. But coaches have to do their job—and Jackson didn’t do his all too often.

Past failures and hypothetical playoff scenarios aside, this won’t continue under Steve Kerr.

He will implement elements of Phil Jackson’s vaunted Triangle Offense, while retaining the ever-deadly pick-and-roll with Curry. It will also resemble what Popovich’s Spurs have done so well for the past 100 years: The facilitation of high-percentage shots on every possible series.

Part-facetiousness aside, the reputable Tim Kawakami of the San Jose Mercury News expects “[lots] of ball movement, weak-side action, emphasis on passing to open players, moving the defense [and] then passing it again.”

There’s little questioning the tremendous success that the passing- and shooting-proficient Curry, Thompson, Iguodala, David Lee, Bogut and Harrison Barnes can achieve with Kerr at the helm. Expect a defensive unit that will remain formidable and an offensive corps that will attain top-five status by midseason next year.

Now, Kerr isn’t a coach of deity-like proportions; he isn’t infallible. Golden State will strain against the trials and tribulations of an 82-game schedule like any good team does.

This group could indeed struggle early on as Curry and Co. adapt to the new system.

But if nothing else, expect a fully prepared Warriors club night in, and night out—one that Kerr will put in the best possible position to win.

Game in and game out.

Follow me on Twitter @jlevitt16