It was not an easy task, coaching the Golden State Warriors in 2025-26. It’s never easy when the star player and the fulcrum around which the rest of the roster functions is 37 years old, as with Stephen Curry. But that wasn’t really the issue for coach Steve Kerr–his problem was that so many players around Curry needed to be treated with kid gloves. Jimmy Butler and Draymond Green, after all, are 36 years old, and center Al Horford is 39.
The list went on: Jonathan Kuminga, before he was traded for Porzingis, was nursing a knee injury, De’Anthony Melton was coming back from ACL surgery, and Kristaps Porzingis, added at the trade deadline, dealt with a bad calf and a mysterious illness. Then there was Curry, who was beset by “runner’s knee” in the second half of the year.
For Kerr, figuring out who was available was a nightly chore in what wound up being a disappointing 37-win season. The team played 82 games and had 43 different starting lineups. Of course, Kerr considered walking away from that mess after the season, but after a lengthy deliberation, announced last week that he would be back to coach the Warriors for at least two more years.
Warriors’ Steve Kerr: ‘I Gave Everyone Too Much Leeway’
But, one thing that Kerr said at his welcome-back presser stood out: He does not want to keep putting up with the Warriors’ playing time restrictions. That might not go over well in today’s load-managed NBA, but Kerr was clear that the Warriors’ ship needs to be tightened.
Said Kerr: “I think the last couple of years, frankly, have been difficult with the age, the collective age, of our team, the injuries. I think we had, like, six guys this year who either couldn’t play back-to-backs or were on minutes restrictions often at the same time. I think I really, frankly, gave everyone too much leeway this year. It just felt like we were constantly resting everybody and just trying to survive to the next game and have enough healthy bodies.
“We talked about that in our meetings. We have to address that. It may mean walk-throughs. It may mean written tests. It may mean more video work. Hopefully it also means more time on the court. We need that, but we — I think we lost some of our discipline, and we got a little loose, and that’s my job.”
Options for Roster Change Are Limited
While Kerr put the blame on himself, ostensibly, for the lax approach to availability last season, it was also clear that he was laying some of the responsibility on the Warriors as an organization. The players they were bringing in were too old, and too damaged, and that needs to change.
Easier said than done, of course. The Warriors have limited assets to bring in new players, and while getting guys who are in their late 20s, at the oldest, sounds like a good plan, how to get those players is a lot more complicated. There’s been plenty of conversation around the Warriors adding LeBron James, at age 41, or Giannis Antetokounmpo at 31 with recent injury history, but neither really solves the problem Kerr identified.
The Warriors want to make changes this season, no doubt. But they’re probably going to still have some older and more delicate pieces on hand. Kerr, though, says he will insist they play more.
Warriors’ Steve Kerr Vows Firm Change Players Might Not Like