Kerr sends message with ‘pathetic’ jab at Warriors
Pathetic is a strong word.
Steve Kerr is a smart man.
So when the Golden State coach chose that kind of language to describe his team’s 126-106 loss to Indiana last week, it’s a safe bet he knew exactly what he was doing. He knew players would hear his words and bristle, with some, such as Kevin Durant, making it clear they disagreed. He knew their locker room might get a bit tense and uncomfortable as a result.
But with the playoffs around the corner and his Warriors (57-23 going into Sunday’s game against Phoenix) looking vulnerable without two-time MVP Stephen Curry, Kerr also knows this is no time for sleepwalking. Curry suffered a Grade 2 MCL sprain on March 23 that could keep him out for the first round.
“Caring, in general, was the main problem,” Kerr said after the Pacers loss. “Trying, cutting hard, driving, maybe boxing out every once in a while. Just in general, it’s hard to win an NBA game if you don’t put forth an effort at all.
“Yeah, I’m mad. I’m embarrassed. … I mean, I know that this game doesn’t mean anything in the seeding, but the playoffs start next week. It was an embarrassing effort, a pathetic effort.”
Two days later, the Warriors’ 126-120 loss to New Orleans at Oracle Arena was not only their ninth in 15 games but also dropped them a loss behind Toronto for home-court advantage in a potential Finals matchup. Then again, that won’t matter much if they keep playing like this.
As time is running out on the regular season, how worried should Kerr and the Warriors be?
It’s tough to tell. Therein lies the root of Kerr’s growing concern.
Despite the slew of injuries, they have had three of their four All-Stars in uniform for the past five games. And with teams including Oklahoma City, San Antonio, Minnesota and Denver eager to derail their would-be dynasty in a possible first-round matchup, Golden State has looked beatable at the worst possible time.
It’s one thing to realize you’re not invincible, as Durant told USA TODAY last week. But this, while not qualifying as pathetic, is something more ominous.
The Warriors’ 3-2 record during that span in which Durant, Draymond Green and Klay Thompson have all played big minutes belies the truth when it comes to their mediocre play. Consider the evidence from that span, which included wins against Sacramento, Phoenix and Oklahoma City and the losses to Indiana and New Orleans:
❚ They were 10th in net rating (1.8), according to NBA.com/stats, a steep decline from the season-long rating (8.5) that is second behind Houston (8.8).
❚ They are 26th in defensive rating
(110.9 points allowed per 100 possessions), down from eighth for the season
(104.2).
❚ The offense has been up to their standards: a 112.7 offensive rating during this stretch that is nearly identical to
112.6 mark for the season that is ranked second.
The defensive decline is the most unexpected development and in stark contrast to the last time the Warriors were forced to play without Curry. When he missed 11 games in December because of an ankle injury, Golden State went 9-2 and had the NBA’s best defense during that span (98.7 rating, with Green missing five of those games). This time, with former G-Leaguer Quinn Cook having played well enough to be on the brink of a new contract and a playoff roster spot while in Curry’s role, it’s quite clear defense is a problem.
All of which makes you wonder what Curry is thinking right about now.
When Kerr announced on March 26 that he believed there was “no way” Curry would play in the first round, there was a strong sense from inside the organization that he was providing cover for his franchise centerpiece. It was, in essence, a way of framing Curry’s eventual comeback as a classic underselland-overdeliver situation.
But with Curry’s re-evaluation date nearing Saturday, it remains unclear whether he’ll be able to come back sooner than expected. And as long as he’s out, the Warriors have plenty of reasons to worry about where their storied program, and this story, is headed.