Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr didn't mince any words when describing his team's defense, knowing they have a long way to go before they get back to being one of the best in the league. In fact, Kerr was quite blunt:
“Our defense sucks right now,” Steve Kerr told Anthony Slater of The Athletic. “We’ve been horrible.”
The Warriors still have a former Defensive Player of the Year in Draymond Green, but even with him being a coach on the court, the Warriors are still quite the vulnerable team. As Kerr notes, one man can't do it all:
“No,” said Kerr. “Because Draymond can’t guard everybody. He’s been in the position he’s been in because he could switch with Andre Iguodala, Kevin Durant, Klay Thompson, Shaun Livingston. Those are four really big, strong wings. We don’t have any of those guys this year. Draymond is a tremendous defender, but you’re taking away the most important thing he did.”
Kerr is also cognizant of the major roster turnover, the sheer amount of new faces, and the youth this team has in place at the moment after being one of the five oldest teams last season. As the coach puts it, there's still a lot to learn for this wave of young Warriors:
“Basic stuff, we don’t understand,” said Kerr. “How many guys do we have who are under 23? Eight, nine? Young teams usually struggle defensively. I don’t think we’re going to be any exception.”
The 54-year-old coach has spent a lot of the preseason tempering expectations, including the potential return of Klay Thompson. The sharpshooter, who played an integral part in the team's defensive style, was previously expected to sit until the All-Star break, but Kerr ensured to say ACL injuries like his could take a full year of recovery, which could put him out for the entire 2019-20 season.
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