The Golden State Warriors’ love affair with the .500 record remains intact after the Cleveland Cavaliers blew them away in a 95-113 victory that is somehow still closer than the game was.
It was again a game where the Warriors’ young guns stepped up, with Moses Moody, Jonathan Kuminga, and Trayce Jackson-Davis top-scoring for the franchise.
Their effort just wasn’t enough to overcome the young guns of the Cavaliers, who rode the shooting stroke of Donovan Mitchell and Darius Garland to win without breaking a sweat.
With losses like these, it becomes clear that Steph Curry and Draymond Green’s era of championship contenders is over in the Bay Area, and Steve Kerr’s biggest strength of the past has become his glaring weakness.
For almost the last decade, since the Warriors won their first ring with this core back in 2015, the team owes a huge amount of debt to Steve Kerr.
Taking over a tactical mess from Mark Jackson, Kerr transformed the Warriors’ fortunes, unlocked GOAT levels of play from Steph Curry, and effectively changed the NBA forever with his motion offense.
No longer was the NBA the land of the giants, and so influential has he been that today, an imposing center like Victor Wembanyama is setting 3PT records!
He made all of that possible by being fiercely loyal to the players who got him here. Even if the whole world was against them, he stood by his players.
His handling of the vets made him a player’s coach, just the type needed to keep a dressing room driven and motivated when championship is the ultimate aim.
It was seen in various instances, ranging from backing Green over his scuffle with Jordan Poole, sticking by Klay Thompson after back-to-back severe injuries, and more.
His philosophy was simple- unconditional backing for the vets who have been there and done it all, and constantly demanding youngsters to improve while drip-feeding them praise.
However, this season, that strength has turned into a weakness. Kerr’s blind spot for the seniors who are clearly on the other side of their careers has led to him living in denial about the decline.
The Warriors are suffering because of it.
Jonathan Kuminga has effectively left Kerr with no choice but to play him with his bullish displays and Moses Moody’s minutes, or the lack of them, has long been a bone of contention between Kerr and the fans.
His reticence towards overseeing a transition by backing the youngsters was put in stark contrast vs the Cavaliers, who have surged to domination in the NBA by backing a young core.
The likes of Mobley, Allen, Mitchell, and Garland are at the peaks of their careers and for that, the Cavs committed fully to this core instead of chasing a big name or an elder statesman.
The way the Cavaliers brushed aside the Warriors on the day, with Curry and Green having another forgettable game, it looked like another lesson for Kerr to correct his ways.
The time to transition is here. Is Kerr brave enough to do it?
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