When given the choice between coaching the Knicks and the Golden State Warriors, Steve Kerr ultimately did exactly what his mentor Phil Jackson always did: he picked the more talented roster.

You dont win all those titles by starting at the bottom. Jackson inherited Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen in Chicago and later walked into a Lakers locker room featuring Shaquille ONeal and Kobe Bryant. Kerr clearly learned from the best.

There were other factors. Kerr was concerned about working for James Dolan. He spoke to enough former and current MSG employees, including his long-time broadcasting partner Marv Albert, to compile a scouting report on the Garden Chairman. And coaching in Oakland does allow Kerr to be close to his daughter, who attends Cal-Berkeley.

It was just personal, Kerr said on Saturday. It was a lot easier to stay close to home, literally two miles from my daughter, who goes to Berkeley, and I got a team that has a lot of talent and a lot of great guys so it was a good choice.

And when asked if Dolans presence was a factor, the ever savvy, every classy Kerr gave the proper response.

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Nothing. None of that had . . . it was just I felt more comfortable with Golden State. It was just a better situation.

You can debate all day whether the Knicks would be better than 10-41 with Kerr as their head coach. He was a successful general manager with the Phoenix Suns before moving to the bench and he hired two terrific assistant coaches in Alvin Gentry and Ron Adams.

Similarly, who can say that the Warriors would have not been this good if Mark Jackson were still their coach?

What we have learned about Kerr is that hes his own man; the Jackson/Gregg Popovich protg is not running the triangle offense. He also doesnt fit the unfair stereotype that a soft-spoken guy who looks like an executive at Goldman Sachs cant get tough with a team.

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Isola: Kerr picking Warriors over Knicks very Zen-like