Steve Kerr Acknowledges Subpar Coaching Year, Confirms Return for 13th Season with Warriors
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SAN FRANCISCO — Steve Kerr said Friday he will stay on the Golden State Warriors’ bench for a 13th season, but he admitted his performance last year did not meet his own standards.
“I know I have to be better,” Kerr told reporters during his first media session since the Warriors finished 37-45 and missed the playoffs. “I didn’t have a great coaching year.”
The news conference, held alongside general manager Mike Dunleavy, lasted about an hour and focused on how the franchise intends to rebound from an “underwhelming” season. Dunleavy repeatedly cited the Warriors’ 15.7 turnovers per game — tied for third worst in the league — as the most pressing on-court problem. Kerr said he has been rewatching every giveaway. “We got a little too loose,” he said. “I’ve got to tighten the ship up next year.”
Roster refresh on the way
Kerr, 60, emphasized the need to surround 38-year-old Stephen Curry with “younger legs,” especially players capable of handling both ends of back-to-back games. The Warriors own the No. 11 pick in a draft widely viewed as deep through the lottery. Dunleavy said every option is on the table, including using the pick, moving up, trading back, or packaging it for a veteran.
While league speculation links Golden State to potential stars such as Giannis Antetokounmpo or Kawhi Leonard, team sources indicate the organization would prefer to keep the pick unless a blockbuster materializes. Kerr said he is ready to give meaningful minutes to a rookie. “That guy has to play. He’s got to earn it. But we’re committed to the development of our young players,” he said.
Decision process and expectations
Kerr took roughly a week after the season ended to decide whether to continue coaching, ultimately swayed by a conversation with his wife, Margot. A two-hour meeting in the second week with Dunleavy and controlling owner Joe Lacob solidified the mutual desire to move forward together.
“We had to come to a much more reality-based shared vision on what success looks like for us,” Kerr explained. “For the first time since our injury-plagued year (2019-20), we aren’t sitting here saying, ‘Hey, we can win a championship.’”
Kerr consulted Curry and Draymond Green during his deliberations but said neither player sought to influence front-office decisions. “One of the strong points of our organization is that our best player… is not telling Mike or Joe what to do,” Kerr noted.
Offseason variables
Green holds a $27.6 million player option that must be exercised by June 29. Center Kristaps Porzingis will be an unrestricted free agent, while wings Jimmy Butler III and Moses Moody continue rehabilitating serious knee injuries. Curry becomes extension-eligible in late August.
Despite lingering roster questions, Dunleavy signaled no urgency for sweeping changes. “This year, I don’t think we came up short because of the talent on the roster,” he said. “It was injuries and things we can control. Do we need to get better roster-wise? I think so, but we didn’t get to a point where we played a team that the roster was better than ours.”
Kerr dismissed concerns about fatigue and said he plans to stay in close contact with players and staff throughout the summer in an effort to “win more games on the margins.”
Source: ESPN
