The Warriors were tabbed as a potential contender in the West ahead of this season following last year’s late-season success of the Steph Curry-Jimmy Butler-Draymond Green trio. But once the games started, things have unfolded differently.
Golden State is 15-15 after the first 30 games of the year. The roster has battled a consistent stream of injury and a decline in play from older players like Green and Butler, although Curry remains one of the league’s top scorers. Steve Kerr railed against the Dubs’ difficult travel schedule to begin the season but his team hasn’t stabilized once that cooled off. Not all is lost, of course; there’s a lot of basketball to be played in the coming months and the Warriors still rank 10th in net rating despite the struggles.
However, frustration boiled over on Monday night between Kerr and Green to the point the longtime Warriors star stormed off the court and into the locker room. While both parties downplayed the incident after Golden State pulled out the win it clearly lingered on the coach’s mind. So, on Wednesday, Kerr took ownership for his role in the flare-up and took the introspection a step further, offering a blunt quote on the death of the Warriors’ dynasty.
“Where we are as a team, as an organization, the most important thing for me is for guys to recognize that there’s beauty in the struggle,” Kerr said, via Warriors beat writer Danny Emerman. “There’s beauty in what we’re trying to accomplish right now.
“We are no longer the ‘17 Warriors, dominating the league. We are a fading dynasty. We know that. Everyone knows that ... We know where we are. We’ve got to know who we are, we’ve got to know what’s possible, and we’ve got to take pride in the struggle, because this is part of life.”
It is quite the admission from the longtime Warriors coach, even if (as he notes) it’s clear to everyone. Golden State is no longer the basketball-destroying force that came to be when Kevin Durant teamed up with Curry, Green, and Klay Thompson. Accepting that and the change in expectations that accompanies that acceptance is key for any all-time great team whose decline is slow and steady. It doesn’t mean they can’t win but these aren’t the Warriors that broke the league for a few years.
That has been clear for a while but it hits especially hard given this really feels like the Dubs’ final shot. Green has more fouls than field goals this year and Butler is inconsistent when he doesn’t get a favorable whistle. Curry’s greatness remains overwhelming—which gives Golden State a fighting chance against anybody on a given night—but at 37 years old the team cannot rely on him throughout the regular season while expecting similar greatness in the playoffs.
The times—they are changing. The fading dynasty of Golden State is as good a sign of that truth as any.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Steve Kerr Gave Brutally Honest Quote About Warriors’ Dynasty After .500 Start to Season.
