After a rough loss to the Nets on opening night, Warriors head coach Steve Kerr has an optimistic outlook to how this season will go. But he’s well aware the team has plenty of room to grow.
When asked to summarize his team's performance after a dismal 125-99 loss to the Brooklyn Nets on Opening Night, Warriors head coach Steve Kerr put it bluntly.
"Right now, we're nowhere close to being a good team," Kerr said to Bay Area reporters Tuesday night. "That showed."
Nothing really went Golden State's way in their regular-season opener. The Warriors were blown out by the return of former teammate Kevin Durant, who put up 22 points in his first NBA game in 18 months. They had no answer for Kyrie Irving, who led all scorers with 26 points. Kelly Oubre Jr. struggled offensively in his Warriors debut, but his performance was nothing compared to Andrew Wiggins' disastrous night.
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However, what troubled Kerr the most after the game was his team's lack of competition.
"I just didn’t like our level of competition," Kerr said. "It just felt like we were out there in the first half. I actually thought we would compete harder and play better defense. We didn’t do that.
"The lack of physicality and competition was the most disappointing thing."
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The Warriors found themselves trailing by double-digits just five minutes after tipoff and never recovered. They were throttled by Brooklyn's 3-point presence and were consistently out-hustled on the glass on both ends of the court. Not even an encouraging NBA debut from No. 2 pick James Wiseman or a 20-point,10-assist night from Steph Curry could help jumpstart Golden State.
Still, despite all of Tuesday night's tribulations, Kerr remains optimistic that his team will gel.
"All in all, we looked like a team that’s only practiced for two weeks and has a long way to go," Kerr said. "I’m disappointed with the outcome and effort, but that doesn’t change the way I feel about this team.
"They’re a great group," he added. "They really like to work. They’re putting in the effort, and I feel really good about where we’re going to be a couple months from now."
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The Warriors should get a much-needed boost soon, with Draymond Green slated to return "quickly" from a mild muscle strain in his left foot. Until then, Golden State will have just two days to circle back and improve before taking on Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks on Christmas Day.
The Warriors should learn plenty from their Opening Night debacle, although they'll likely want to forget it as soon as possible. Luckily for them, they still have 71 games to turn it around.