Getty Golden State Warriors coach Steve Kerr addresses the media following Game 5 of the 2022 NBA Finals.
Perhaps more than any team in the NBA over the last few years, the Golden State Warriors have exemplified the breakneck speed at which fortunes can suddenly be reversed.
After becoming a veritable dynasty thanks to one of the best cores in league history, Klay Thompson’s injuries — and Kevin Durant’s departure — sent the Warriors crashing back into the lottery in 2020. Then, last season, they somehow clawed their way back to that old championship perch despite dealing with injuries to Draymond Green, Andre Iguodala, James Wiseman and even Stephen Curry at various junctures.
Flash forward to now and, after a 6-8 start, some are wondering whether the Dubs rollercoaster might be headed for another valley already.
Head coach Steve Kerr is willing to go a step further than that even. As he sees it, Golden State’s golden age may be ending sooner than anyone would have guessed at after the club’s incredible title run last season.
Kerr Gets Real on the Dynasty’s Latter Days
ESPN‘s Ramona Shelburne just dropped an in-depth feature on Thompson, his injury saga and where his career is headed as he approaches his 33rd birthday. In the piece, Kerr got all nostalgic about his run with the old core, marveling at the group’s longevity, as well as Curry and Thompson’s role in keeping the train on the tracks over the years.
“This is my ninth year,” Kerr told Shelburne. “If you look at the core — Steph, Klay, Draymond, Andre — those guys have been together for basically a decade. That doesn’t happen in sports…
“But when you have a backcourt like these two guys who are just so potent and explosive but also just so naturally humble and respectful to everyone around them, that allows for an organization to get through the rough patches.”
As incredible as the Splash Bros and their cohorts have been, though, the fact remains that Father Time is coming for them, just as it does for every pro baller. And Kerr knows that it will get them sooner rather than later, perhaps even as soon as this season.
“It can only last so long. We know this isn’t going forever,” Kerr said. “This could be the last year, maybe next year is the last year. We’re in the final stages. We know that. We want to make the most of it.”
Draymond Speaks Out on Dubs’ Record & Near Misses
During his media availability ahead of Golden State’s Wednesday bout with the Phoenix Suns, Green made it clear he wasn’t fretting over the team’s unexpectedly slow start. As he sees it, the Dubs would be right where they want to be right now had the ball bounced differently on a couple of occasions.
“We’ve lost some games that we should have won — I think that’s the difference. Games that we’ve historically won and situations that we’ve historically won in, we’ve given them away,” Green said.
“You look at a couple of those games we gave away — Charlotte, Orlando — you look at those games we gave away and, all of a sudden, you’re 8-6, you’re right at top of West with everybody else in a logjam and it’s a totally different tone. So, it’s nothing to panic or overreact about.”