The Warriors head coach talked about his team’s efforts after losing to Portland
The Golden State Warriors, who began their season 4-1, now sit at 9-9 in an increasingly competitive Western Conference.
The team has lost its last three games, falling to the Orlando Magic on Nov. 18, the Miami Heat on Nov. 19, and the Portland Trail Blazers on Nov. 21.
Despite the Warriors’ recent struggles, head coach Steve Kerr does not think his team’s topsy-turvy defense is something to be worried about.
“I think overall our defense has been pretty good, actually,” Kerr said during a postgame press conference following the loss against the Trail Blazers. “Tonight, what hurt us was the second-chance stuff. I thought [Deni] Avdija was fantastic getting downhill. Early in the game, he found [Donovan] Clingan for a couple of lobs, and that is where we decided that we had to get bigger out there. Started going to the two bigs with Al [Horford] and Quinten [Post] and Draymond [Green] and eventually Trayce [Jackson-Davis] as well.”
As it turns out, Kerr said his concerns ultimately lie on the offensive end.
“I think we are going to be just fine defensively,” Kerr continued. “I am not worried about our defense. I am more worried about our offense right now. Not a whole lot of rhythm. Not a lot of flow, so this week will be really good for us to get some practice time, starting Sunday. Tomorrow will be off. Starting on Sunday and a couple of more practices during the week.”
The Warriors did only lose to the Trail Blazers by four points, 127-123, but Kerr is spot on when it comes to his assessment of his team’s offense as of late. Golden State is currently 23rd in the league in offensive rating.
Even from a shooting standpoint, the Warriors have not been as in sync as they were in the first slate of games to begin the 2025-26 NBA season.
Against Portland, Golden State shot under 50% from the field as a team. Some of the Warriors’ starters and top scorers in Steph Curry (38 points), Jimmy Butler III (20 points), and Draymond Green (11 points) did not shoot at a particularly high clip from the field themselves either, going 14-for-23, 5-for-15 and 4-for-11, respectively.
The Warriors, who currently hold the eighth seed in the Western Conference Standings, will look to get back on track against the Utah Jazz, who hold the 10th seed, when the two Western Conference opponents face off at 10 p.m. EST on Nov. 24.