The Golden State Warriors don’t look anything close to contenders right now, and Wednesday night only deepened that reality.
Despite building a 14-point lead at home, the Warriors unraveled late and dropped a 104-100 Emirates NBA Cup West Group C matchup to a Houston Rockets team missing Kevin Durant.
Coach Steve Kerr Frustrated Over Warriors’ Start to Season
The loss pushed the Warriors to 10-10, a record that sums up a season defined by sputtering offense, defensive breakdowns, and a general lack of rhythm that even their stars can’t shake.
After the collapse, head coach Steve Kerr didn’t sugarcoat what he had been seeing. Referencing Bill Parcells’ iconic mantra — “You are what your record says you are,” — Kerr said his team is exactly that: average.
“We’re 10-10. We’re an average team,” Kerr told reporters. “I think we have the potential for much more. It’s my job as coach to help these guys find that rhythm… I believe in them.”
But belief hasn’t translated to consistency. The Warriors have now dropped four of their last five, with the lone victory coming against a struggling Utah Jazz group.
Injuries haven’t helped either. Al Horford and Jonathan Kuminga, both capable starters and key rotational pieces, have been sidelined. Add in a mid-November six-game road stretch that ended 3-3, followed immediately by a three-game gauntlet, and the wear has shown.
The toughest moment of the night came with 35 seconds remaining, when Stephen Curry exited after suffering a quad injury. He limped noticeably toward the locker room, casting a shadow over a team already fighting uphill battles on both ends of the floor.
The Warriors later announced that an MRI revealed a right quadriceps contusion and muscle strain for Curry, and he will be re-evaluated in one week.
Draymond Green, Jimmy Butler Blast Warriors’ Lack of Effort
If Kerr delivered the measured truth, the Warriors’ veterans brought the fire. Draymond Green ripped into the team’s defense, calling it “s**t” and labeling the roster “individually f*****g awful.”
“Our defense is s**t.” he said. “I ain’t a big keep the spirit up guy. That ain’t my department. I motherf**k you.”
Jimmy Butler wasn’t far behind with his assessment: “We don’t box out. We don’t go with the scouting report. We let anybody do whatever they want — open shots, get into the paint, free throws. It’s just sad.”
Their frustration reflects a season that started with promise, with a strong 4-1 opening stretch, but quickly fell into a loop of inconsistency.
Three-game winning streaks have been followed by three-game losing streaks, and every step forward seems matched by one backward.
Golden State now turns to Saturday’s (Nov. 29) matchup against the 3-16 Pelicans. On paper, it’s a chance to regroup. In reality, it’s a test to see whether this Warriors team still knows how to respond when the pressure tightens.
