Golden State Warriors coach Steve Kerr addressed his team’s 126-102 defeat to the Oklahoma City Thunder on Tuesday night at Paycom Center. Kerr singled out turnovers and poor decision-making as key issues in the postgame press conference.
“We had 12 turnovers at halftime and they didn’t feel forced. It was mostly decision-making,” Kerr said. “We’ve got to make better decisions if we’re going to be a good team, and I’ve got to do a better job putting our guys in position to do so.”
Kerr acknowledged the team’s inconsistent play since early in the season. “We’re not playing well and we haven’t been playing well since the second week of the season. It doesn’t feel right with the way we’re approaching things,” he said.
He noted the team’s offensive struggles contributed to defensive lapses. “The crashing, getting offensive rebounds, it dramatically helps your defense. First half we didn’t crash at all. I think we had one offensive rebound,” Kerr explained.
Kerr also addressed Stephen Curry’s return after missing three games due to illness. “It’s great to see him out there. Didn’t surprise me that he wasn’t sharp. He hasn’t done anything in a week aside from a couple workouts,” Kerr said, adding that Curry should find his rhythm soon.
Regarding Draymond Green and Al Horford, Kerr said Horford is expected to play Wednesday, while Green may sit for rest. “He’s played every game to this point, and frankly, he needs a rest. Tomorrow might be a night where we do that,” Kerr noted.
The Warriors’ performance against Oklahoma City highlighted execution problems. Kerr emphasized fundamental play as a priority. “Being solid with the ball… we can’t come out and be fundamentally lacking and expect to beat the best team in the league on their home floor,” he said.
Kerr addressed Jimmy Butler’s limited offensive opportunities, stressing spacing and execution issues. “It wasn’t a case of him not wanting to score. I just thought it was poor offensive execution, not good spacing. Those are things we’ve got to clean up,” Kerr said.
Golden State, now 6-6, will look to rebound against the San Antonio Spurs on Wednesday. Oklahoma City, led by Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s 28 points and Chet Holmgren’s perfect 23-point night, improved to 11-1 and remains the league’s top team.
