Following the Warriors’ second-round exit to the Lakers last month, Golden State coach Steve Kerr declared his squad wasn’t fit to win a championship.
As he watches the NBA Finals unfold between the Heat and the Nuggets, Kerr can’t help but notice the unselfish nature of Miami’s team. Was that the missing ingredient for Golden State this season?
Kerr was interviewed on the latest episode of “The Draymond Green Show” which was published Monday morning, and gave his thoughts on Miami’s chemistry.
“None of those guys on Miami are sitting there and saying, ‘Well, I didn’t play, or, ‘They put in so-and-so.’ They’re just all about winning,” Kerr told Draymond. “You know this from our groups that we’ve had, when you have that championship mentality, every guy’s bought in. Every guy’s just trying to win, nobody cares about any of that stuff.
"You don’t go into the locker room saying, ‘I shoulda played more …’ you just wanna win. That’s the beauty of finding that magic when you have a championship team, is that everybody’s bought in and it makes the decisions for the coach really simple. You just go with your guy and go with whoever’s playing well.”
Against the backdrop of the Warriors’ fractured 2022-23 season, the statement is certainly eyebrow-raising.
This year’s playoff run was marked by rumored discontent in the locker room on playing time, as young players like Jonathan Kuminga and Jordan Poole had diminished minutes, while veterans JaMychal Green and Donte DiVincenzo had varying roles.
Before Game 7 of the Warriors-Kings first round series, Stephen Curry gave a speech to Golden State, imploring his teammates to lock in. Such a speech likely wasn’t needed during the team’s 2021-22 title run.
Perhaps Green’s preseason punch on Poole altered the locker room chemistry beyond repair, but the Warriors need to find that team magic again as Kuminga, Poole and Moses Moody continue to grow. The vibes simply weren’t the same this past season.
Related
