Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr is almost always going to call it like he sees it, and he did just that on before the team’s solid Christmas Day victory over the Dallas Mavericks.
During a press conference earlier in the week, Kerr stated that “the most important thing for me is for guys to recognize that there’s beauty in the struggle…We are no longer the ’17 Warriors dominating the league. We are a fading dynasty.”
Steve Kerr admits Warriors are a ‘fading dynasty’
Kerr and the Warriors know that the success they have sustained over the last decade cannot last forever. No one who follows Golden State would dispute Kerr’s claim that they are a “fading dynasty” as he put it, but it is still a little bit jarring to hear the head coach put it in such terms.
The clock is ticking on Golden State’s chance to win another title. Everyone knows it which is probably why we have seen more cracks and frustrations this season, with Draymond Green and Kerr’s very public spat on the bench earlier this week being proof of that.
The core trio of Kerr, Stephen Curry and Green have been through everything together. They know what it takes to win a championship and Kerr knows that with Curry on the team, they will at least have a chance if they can get into the playoffs.
But they also know that sneaking into the playoffs is not exactly a recipe for success. That is exactly what they did last season, making it into the dance as a Play-In before getting bounced in the second round following Curry’s untimely hamstring injury.
It’s unclear whether the team will make a move ahead of the trade deadline, but it seems they may have to in order to squeeze whatever juice is left out of this dynasty.
Of course, the Warriors saw a key part of their dynasty in a different uniform on Thursday as Klay Thompson is still with the Mavericks. It still feels a little wrong to see him in a different uniform as Kerr himself put it, but the Warriors are going to have to try and make another run without Curry’s long-time Splash Brother.
It will be a sad day when this iteration of the Warriors finally fades out, and Kerr’s admission that the sun is setting on this dynasty only amps up the pressure as the team tries to make one more title run.