The Golden State Warriors haven’t exactly missed Steve Kerr in the season’s early going. But to win biggest when it matters most, the reigning champions insist their head coach needs to be on the bench – which makes this latest report on his health all the more troubling.
During Wednesday night’s telecast of Golden State’s win over the Los Angeles Clippers, ESPN’s J.A. Adande said that one of Kerr’s players told him lingering effects from back surgery could keep the Warriors coach out until after the All-Star break.
Transcription courtesy of CBS Sports’ James Herbert:
“We had a chance to catch up with coach Kerr before the game and he still seemed very fatigued, told us he’s dealing with headaches, is still heavily medicated. Yet [he] did get a chance to talk to the team after its 50-point victory over the Memphis Grizzlies the other day. He joked with them that, ‘It’s obvious you guys need me.’ Now, they took that as a good sign his sense of humor was back. But he’s still far away. In fact, one player told me they wouldn’t be surprised if it takes him until after the All-Star break to return. And they’re prepared to go that long without him.”
The Coach of the Year runner-up announced on Oct. 1 that he was taking a leave of absence to better address complications gleaned from a pair of offseason back surgeries. Though conventional wisdom and his frequent presence at Warriors practice suggested Kerr would return to the job shortly thereafter, his subsequent remarks on the state of his recovery indicated just how debilitating his symptoms remain.
Golden State has raced out to a 5-0 start this season under interim coach Luke Walton, appearing markedly improved on the 2014-15 team that went 67-15, was mere percentage points away from leading the league in both offense and defensive rating, and capitalized on that regular season dominance with a championship. At this point, the talented, experienced Warriors come close to coaching themselves.
To a man, however, those in the organization maintain that the ultimate goal of a second consecutive title won’t be reached without Kerr on the sidelines.
Bob Myers to SiriusXM on Steve Kerr: "He's like a star player being out. You can't replace him…Steve Kerr is one of a kind."
— Diamond Leung (@diamond83) October 14, 2015
We’ll keep you updated on Kerr’s status as information becomes available. Get well, Coach!
(Via CBS Sports)
