"You lose your belief": Steve Kerr sounds alarm on Warriors' confidence crisis following blowout loss
Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr had a brutally honest take on how his team's tattered confidence has been one of the reasons behind their loss after they suffered a 141-105 blowout loss to the New Orleans Pelicans on Wednesday. The defeat was the second on the trot and it didn't help that the franchise's fans booed the side after their home loss. At the time of writing, the Dubs are far from being championship contenders, and Kerr spoke about how the team is low on faith and confidence to get their campaign back and running.
Speaking to the media in the aftermath of the loss, Kerr was asked about his thoughts on the team's mindset, and he had a dejected response:
"Yeah, deserved it for sure. We fell behind immediately and I just think we're lacking in confidence right now. You get to a stage sometimes where you kind of lose your belief and it happens, and that's what happened right now. I think we've just lost the spirit and the confidence that has to carry you."
Kerr's words outline why the Warriors have struggled this season. And confidence hasn't been their only issue so far. While they have the necessary firepower, the overall production has taken a hit due to injuries and inconsistency, and now Golden State is in dire need of an upgrade — one that helps them achieve the objective of making the playoffs first, and later set their sights on a title.
Stephen Curry continues to be a consistent force for the team, but the losses show how the others around him haven't lived up to their expectations, including the likes of seasoned veteran Chris Paul who was acquired to lend adept playmaking experience. While he has spearheaded the second unit, the contributions on offense haven't been one that makes an impact.
"We're fragile right now": Steve Kerr talks about the approach he would have to employ to dented Warriors
In the same press conference, Steve Kerr was asked about how he would approach the situation with the latest loss. The 58-year-old, who led the Warriors to four championships, said he wasn't going to be a taskmaster about it:
"When we're fragile like we are right now, I don't think that screaming and yelling at them is going to help."
It was a below-par performance from the Dubs on Tuesday. Curry had a quiet night with 15 points and six assists. Klay Thompson had 13 points and four rebounds. Jonathan Kuminga coming in for Draymond Green had 12 points and three rebounds. The consolations were Moses Moody coming off the bench for 21 points and Trayce-Jackson Davis for 19 points. The Pelicans bench outscored the Warriors 62-56 while their starters fared better than the Warriors veterans.
The loss now sees them 11-11 at home, and will now embark on a four-game road trip. They face the Chicago Bulls next at the United Center on Jan. 12 at 8 p.m. ET.