The Golden State Warriors and Steve Kerr have not been happy with the start to the season and held an 11-12 record entering Saturday night’s matchup against the Cleveland Cavaliers.
At times early this season, the Warriors have looked like a team that could compete in the Western Conference. However, in many other moments, they have looked like a team who could miss the playoffs.
So far, Golden State has been unable to find its identity. Quite a few players have been struggling with consistency. That isn’t usually a recipe for success and must be fixed in the very near future.
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With that being said, Kerr spoke out recently and singled out two players with pointed criticism.
As shared by Anthony Slater of ESPN, Kerr specifically talked about both Jonathan Kuminga and Brandin Podziemski. He was very direct with his breakdown of what they’er doing wrong.
“I’m really urging for him to get up the floor instead of holding back and asking for the ball,” Kerr said about Kuminga.
He continued on, sharing his critique for Podziemski.
“He’s got to get off the ball early. When he gets into trouble is when he tries too hard to make plays on his own.”
Kerr makes great points regarding both players. Both of them need to take his words to heart and begin working on improvements.
Unfortunately, the Warriors have been forced to play without superstar point guard Stephen Curry. He hasn’t played since November 26 due to the quad injury. There is no firm return date for him, although he’s getting closer to getting back on the court.
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In his absence, it has been clear that Golden State will be in trouble if Curry is forced to miss more time. For the Warriors to be a true contender, Curry has to be on the court. Other players like Kuminga and Podziemski could help steady the ship by stepping up and improving the criticism that Kerr has shared.
Hopefully, Golden State can get back to full health and figure out its issues. There is no question that the Warriors have the talent to compete in the West, but they need everyone to buy in and play their roles at a much higher level.
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