The championship honeymoon might still be in effect for the Golden State Warriors, who have dropped three of their last seven games, and most recently two of their last four after a narrow loss to the Sacramento Kings.
While the Warriors have dealt with injuries to Kevin Durant and Stephen Curry over the last few games, this team had proven that it could overcome adversity by having someone else step up. But Monday night's game was further proof that this version of the Golden State Warriors isn't there quite yet.
“We're not stepping on people's throats like we used to,” Kerr said Tuesday, per Carl Steward of the San Jose Mercury News. “I'm OK with that for now. But eventually we're going to have to get back to that point.”
Steve Kerr noted what is making this team, which still has its main core intact, approach this season in a much different light.
“The difference is this is Year 4 of us trying to get back to the Finals, and the first couple years, it just felt like there was a stronger desire to knock teams out,” he said. “This year, we're just thinking more big picture long-term, myself included. We know what we're up against with the yearlong journey.”
Players like Curry, Klay Thompson, Draymond Green, and Andre Iguodala have put at least around 90-95 games worth of mileage per season, while the rest of the NBA has played far less than that throughout that span. Three years of getting every team's best shot every night. And for teams that aren't in the running for a playoff spot, making a win against the defending champions their own accolade.
The Warriors will get healthy eventually, but Kerr will have to see his players willing to be merciless and put teams away for good if they hope to earn rest in the fourth quarter, like a 2014-15 team once did.
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