The Golden State Warriors are in the middle of a real crisis – and Steve Kerr has had enough. After the clear 98:114 defeat against the Miami Heat, the Warriors coach vented his frustration in the press conference when he was asked about Trayce Jackson-Davis’ good performance.
“He made 19 points. Great. But who cares if we’re not competitive? If we don’t show a fighting spirit and aren’t willing to fight through everything? It’s about being the Warriors again, the team we’ve been for the last ten years, not feeling sorry for ourselves,” the 59-year-old said at the post-defeat press conference.
Steve Kerr speaks of a ‘crisis of self-confidence’
Kerr spoke openly about a “crisis of self-confidence” that the team is currently going through. Superstar Stephen Curry, who was his team’s top scorer with 31 points, also confirmed the difficult mental situation: “It just doesn’t feel good. When you lose that spirit, it’s obvious how bad we can be sometimes. We have to fight through it.”
Steph Curry: “We have to start acting”
Curry was visibly frustrated after the defeat: “There are a lot of things going wrong. But what do you want to do about it? We have to dig deep, find out and believe that we are a good team. We have to stop talking about it and start acting.”
The Warriors’ offensive problems are a major reason for their current plight (they made just 14/50 threes – 28% – against Miami). When asked how to improve their offense, Curry simply said, “I honestly have no idea.” But he also made it clear that every player on the roster has to take responsibility: “Nobody here is a charity case. Everyone is here for a reason and is able to play at a high level.”
The Warriors are facing some crucial decisions. A trade could be necessary to fix the problems in the squad and to successfully take advantage of the last years of Curry’s career. Whether and how the Warriors will find their way out of their crisis remains to be seen. One thing is clear: the spirit that Kerr and Curry are calling for will be crucial if the team wants to return to its old glory.