After the Golden State Warriors fell to the Portland Trail Blazers 127-123 on Friday, Nov. 21, veteran forward Jimmy Butler took aim at the team’s efforts on the defensive side of the floor. However, it would appear that head coach Steve Kerr disagrees with the six-time All-Star.
During his postgame news conference, Kerr admitted he’s more concerned with the offensive process and execution than with the team’s defensive production over the first 18 games of the season.
“I think overall our defense has actually been pretty good,” Kerr said. “Tonight, what really hurt us was the second-chance opportunities…We’re going to be just fine defensively. I’m more worried about our offense right now. There’s not a whole lot of rhythm, not a lot of flow.”
In fairness, Kerr’s stance is vindicated. The Warriors are 10th in the NBA for defensive rating, holding opponents to 112.2 points per 100 possessions. Yet, on offense, they’re 23rd in the league, averaging 112.6 points per 100 possessions. To put that into context, Golden State’s offensive production is in a similar region to the 3-12 Brooklyn Nets (24th in the league for offensive rating) and the 5-10 Utah Jazz (22nd in the league for offensive rating).
Hearing the juxtaposition between Kerr and Butler is interesting. Still, the Warriors will need to get on the same page about where they need to improve, if they’re going to emerge as legitimate contenders in a loaded Western Conference this season.
This post originally appeared on Warriors Wire! Follow us on Facebook and Twitter!