Steve Kerr: I've Never Been Part Of Team More In Need Of Break

[RealGM Wiretap]

Steve Kerr has compared the 17-18 Warriors to the 97-98 Bulls in terms of how they're suffering from fatigue after multiple trips to The Finals.

“1996 was the 72-win team,” Kerr said. “Then, '97 we picked up where we left off, won 69 and it just never felt like we hit a wall. We had some injuries, maybe some speed bumps, but it never felt like we hit a wall.

“We hit a wall in '98. You could feel it, exactly what I'm talking about (right now with the Warriors), you could feel us losing focus, losing momentum.”

The Warriors don't have the same things to prove as they did last season when they had to bounce back from blowing a 3-1 lead while also incorporating Kevin Durant onto the roster.

“By far the most needed break for any team I've ever been a part of — GM, coach, player, however many years that is,” Kerr said. “I've never felt a situation like this where it felt so necessary to get away for a little bit.”

Kerr recently allowed his players to coach a blowout win over the Suns.

“It's a team-wide thing, but stars always set the tone,” Kerr said. “There's a reason they get the most money. They have the biggest impact on winning and losing. When we're locked in at the beginning of games, it shows. There's no coincidence that when we've been in this bad stretch the last month, we're losing first quarters night after night. It sets a tone.”

Via Anthony Slater/The Athletic

[sonictecture]

When you have the most talented team with better than average depth, where your top guys don't have to be at the top of their game or play extended minutes to win games, but the team is in the most need of a break in Steve Kerr's 30 year career, who is to blame for this?

Isn't this the fun team?

[oaktownwarriors87]

Luke Walton didn't want the Warriors to be anyone but the best versions of themselves, while Kerr is stuck on being just as good as Chicago or San Antonio. The Warriors will never be able to achieve their full potential with this mentality.

I feel like a lot of players limit themselves by trying to be someone else. You can see how LeBron or Kobe wanted to be like Jordan. By doing so they immediately limited themselves to never being as good as him. They will never be Jordan. Instead they should have focused on being the best versions of themselves.

I think that's what people liked Curry and the Warriors so much. Curry wasn't trying to be anyone. Like Magic and Jordan, he played his own game and he did things no one ever thought possible.

I like Kerr, but he isn't the right coach for this team. They are too good for him. They need someone that can see beyond their own success.

[alienpick]

Luke Walton didn't want the Warriors to be anyone but the best versions of themselves, while Kerr is stuck on being just as good as Chicago or San Antonio. The Warriors will never be able to achieve their full potential with this mentality.

I feel like a lot of players limit themselves by trying to be someone else. You can see how LeBron or Kobe wanted to be like Jordan. By doing so they immediately limited themselves to never being as good as him. They will never be Jordan. Instead they should have focused on being the best versions of themselves.

I think that's what people liked Curry and the Warriors so much. Curry wasn't trying to be anyone. Like Magic and Jordan, he played his own game and he did things no one ever thought possible.

I like Kerr, but he isn't the right coach for this team. They are too good for him. They need someone that can see beyond their own success.

Well said. I once read a book by Arnold Schwarzenegger where he talked about the same thing with weight lifting. In the Olympic weightlifting world no one could lift more than a certain weight (500lbs? I don't remember the specific weight), but once one guy did it suddenly everyone else was able to do it. They all made that number too special of a hard to reach goal in their head that subconsciously they taught themselves they couldn't do it. Once they realised it was just a arbitrary number, they all exploded past it and started setting new records.

[Hubert44]

I could use a break from them too.

[IWishIWasHarden]

You're suffering from fatigue because you don't have much depth. All your depth is old, Iggy has been a let down, and your 4 stars are having to do everything.

[xam2k7]

This is such a ridiculous complaint and an excuse... there's a guy by the name of Lebron James that has been to 7 straight finals, which is more in a row than those bulls or these warriors. So for Kerr to allude to the fact that the warriors are dealing with something that nobody else is I'm calling bull. The core of the Cavs has been to 3 straight finals as well. Durant's only been with them for a year and a half and missed 20 games last year. Curry has missed like 10 games this year. Also they swept the majority of their playoff matchups over the stretch and had like a week off between series. They havent been grinding 82 games a year for 3 straight and then grinding out postseason series. This whole thing just makes me roll my eyes and furthers the perception that Kerr is a whiney baby.

[jlokine]

i m getting tired of these complaints ESPECIALLY after they just lowered the amount of back to backs and stretched the season out by having a shorter training camp. go to 72 games.. but take a 10% pay cut while you're at it. and lebron has been to how many CONSECUTIVE finals??? he hasnt even complained about playing too much basketball!

[gordoncatrell]

Toldja.
surprised Kerr is letting this play out in the press. PHIL was a master at this. KERR is being a bit too transparent.

Boredom is their undoing. Especially for a team with so many high IQ pieces. they cannot be fooled.
it's hard to rise to a level of desperation/life-or-death possession basketball when you've been winning so easily and absorbing the opponent's best swings.
for 3 straight postseasons GSW has been playing carefree fearless; bordering on dismissive, basketball. ive never seen a team play like this in the postseason. literally goofing around on the court, trying to keep themselves engaged and entertained, showing no fear of the opponent. CLE/HOU/SAS/OKC would redline themselves against GSW. GSW would just shrug.
they have 2 or 3 more yrs of this. that's it.
it'll be a toe-tag in 2021.

[Harry Garris]

Well you got 2 rings and probably another one coming this summer. So if you have to deal with a bit of fatigue as a result, that just comes with the territory. The championships are worth it, no?

[gordoncatrell]

Well you got 2 rings and probably another one coming this summer. So if you have to deal with a bit of fatigue as a result, that just comes with the territory. The championships are worth it, no?

true.
makes you appreciate 90s Bullls 80s Lakers. it's nearly impossible to be king of the mtn for a decade.

[MaxRider]

Stop making the playoff. So you can have longer break in the summer.

[duepayer]

i m getting tired of these complaints ESPECIALLY after they just lowered the amount of back to backs and stretched the season out by having a shorter training camp. go to 72 games.. but take a 10% pay cut while you're at it. and lebron has been to how many CONSECUTIVE finals??? he hasnt even complained about playing too much basketball!

Sounded less like a complaint than an honest observation to me. It’s just hard to keep guys engaged when they’ve been winning so consistently and somewhat easily for so long. If they don’t pick up their intensity during this closing stretch I think they may fall to a hungrier, potent offensive team like Houston. I have a feeling that this may finally be Chris Paul’s year

[Johnny Kilroy]

Kerr has dementia. Scottie missed the first 55 games of 98 with foot surgery. Rodman stepped up immensely and him and MJ (MVP I might add) led them to 61 wins.

Bulls were also MUCH older. And Kerr is tired?

Warriors have always been overrated.

[gordoncatrell]

i m getting tired of these complaints ESPECIALLY after they just lowered the amount of back to backs and stretched the season out by having a shorter training camp. go to 72 games.. but take a 10% pay cut while you're at it. and lebron has been to how many CONSECUTIVE finals??? he hasnt even complained about playing too much basketball!

Sounded less like a complaint than an honest observation to me. It’s just hard to keep guys engaged when they’ve been winning so consistently and somewhat easily for so long. If they don’t pick up their intensity during this closing stretch I think they may fall to a hungrier, potent offensive team like Houston. I have a feeling that this may finally be Chris Paul’s year

GSW is shaqkobe LAL
HOU is SACwebber

GSW still has not paid any attn to hou...although Joe Johnson/Trevor might swing a game or two HOUs way. GSW in 6 (with GSW actually playing hard for 3 games)

[Johnny Kilroy]

Well you got 2 rings and probably another one coming this summer. So if you have to deal with a bit of fatigue as a result, that just comes with the territory. The championships are worth it, no?

true.
makes you appreciate 90s Bullls 80s Lakers. it's nearly impossible to be king of the mtn for a decade.

Amen. Don't forget the 2000s Lakers. They were better and on top for longer too.

[Basketball_Jones]

lol meanwhile the Raptors are fresh and waiting. Derozan is going to average 30 plus points in the finals.

[dice]

Toldja.
surprised Kerr is letting this play out in the press. PHIL was a master at this. KERR is being a bit too transparent.

Boredom is their undoing. Especially for a team with so many high IQ pieces. they cannot be fooled.
it's hard to rise to a level of desperation/life-or-death possession basketball when you've been winning so easily and absorbing the opponent's best swings.
for 3 straight postseasons GSW has been playing carefree fearless; bordering on dismissive, basketball. ive never seen a team play like this in the postseason. literally goofing around on the court, trying to keep themselves engaged and entertained, showing no fear of the opponent. CLE/HOU/SAS/OKC would redline themselves against GSW. GSW would just shrug.
they have 2 or 3 more yrs of this. that's it.
it'll be a toe-tag in 2021.

2021? hardly a bold prediction

[dice]

Well you got 2 rings and probably another one coming this summer. So if you have to deal with a bit of fatigue as a result, that just comes with the territory. The championships are worth it, no?

true.
makes you appreciate 90s Bullls 80s Lakers. it's nearly impossible to be king of the mtn for a decade.

Amen. Don't forget the 2000s Lakers. They were better and on top for longer too.

don't forget that jordan effectively took 2 years off to recharge his batteries

[dice]

i m getting tired of these complaints ESPECIALLY after they just lowered the amount of back to backs and stretched the season out by having a shorter training camp. go to 72 games.. but take a 10% pay cut while you're at it. and lebron has been to how many CONSECUTIVE finals??? he hasnt even complained about playing too much basketball!

Sounded less like a complaint than an honest observation to me. It’s just hard to keep guys engaged when they’ve been winning so consistently and somewhat easily for so long. If they don’t pick up their intensity during this closing stretch I think they may fall to a hungrier, potent offensive team like Houston. I have a feeling that this may finally be Chris Paul’s year

I'd be all for that...if it wasn't for harden and d'antoni also getting rings

anyway, they'll probably lose to the warriors and cp3 will get the blame regardless of how well he plays