The Bay Area News Group (Marcus Thompson II) reports: The Warriors have a new defensive coordinator. No, Monte Kiffin will not be joining the bench. Warriors Coach Don Nelson announced after Friday’s 115-99 loss to the Atlanta Hawks that assistant Keith Smart will be a “defensive coordinator” and that assistant Sidney Moncrief will be Smart’s assistant. Nelson said he is relinquishing the defensive duties because he has grown too lax. “I’ve decided to identify one of my weaknesses at this point in my life, which is I’m not tough enough anymore,” Nelson said. “I’m a little soft as I get older, and I feel like I haven’t done a very good job defensively this year. … They will be handling all of the defensive training, the game plans defensively and, during the game, the switching of situations. They’re in charge of the defense now.” Smart and Moncrief will have to start their upgraded roles without arguably the Warriors’ best man-to-man defender as swingman Stephen Jackson’s sprained left hand has forced him out of action again.
