SAN FRANCISCO — Even as he sat at home recovering from his calf injury and watching the games on television, Gary Payton II felt like something was wrong with the Warriors. When he finally returned on Saturday, his initial suspicions were confirmed.
“I'm pretty sure you can see it on the field, just the mismatch that we have, especially on defense,” Payton said after Monday's practice. “I think a small part of our offense is based on our defense, which should be the other way around. We just [have] We have to come back to keep it simple on offense and on defense we just come out with the first, second and third tries and just use our brains as we play. We will change things sooner than expected.”
Two days after coach Steve Kerr suggested his team might face a pause, the Warriors returned to practice to prepare for Tuesday's home game against a very strong Orlando Magic team, currently in fifth place the Eastern Conference.
Kerr's postgame comments – when he said the Warriors lacked “the courage that every good team needs when you pull together and play for the group” – sent a ripple effect throughout Dub Nation and in the media .
Although the coach didn't point the finger at anyone in particular, his words left many people wondering who he was referring to, if anyone, or if he was just speaking out of frustration.
Kerr said Monday that he shared those feelings with his players, but declined to elaborate on what was said.
“Nothing I want to share,” Kerr said. “But we address everything that happens in this team. I have to pick my times to say certain things or not say certain things. I felt like it was a good time to say that publicly because we need to turn things around in this regard.
“We are not where we want to be. But I don’t think we’re that far off.”
Almost everyone agrees that most of the Warriors' failures came on the defensive side, although Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson, among others, each had their issues with consistency on offense.
That has forced Kerr to mix up his rotations in hopes of finding something that works consistently. He made some significant changes before Saturday's loss to the Dallas Mavericks, using Chris Paul in place of rookie Brandin Podziemski and opting for rookie center Trayce Jackson-Davis in place of veteran Kevon Looney.
Although both played well against the Mavericks, it wasn't enough to solve the problems that had plagued the Warriors for most of the season.
Kerr expressed frustration after the game in Dallas, imploring the Warriors to come together and dedicate themselves to the task and task at hand.
On Monday, the Warriors coach seemed less stressed than he had been nearly 48 hours earlier.
“I know the areas where we need to improve, both tangible and intangible,” Kerr said. “And I have great confidence that we can do it together and become the team we expected at the beginning of the year.
“There were many circumstances that led us to this point. They are what they are. What I've learned as a coach is that every year is different. Every year you have surprises, be it an injury or a suspension. Things just happen. The point of coaching is to help the group do that, and that’s what my staff and I are trying to do at the moment.”
After the loss to Dallas, Paul and Curry were among the players who spoke about some of the issues the Warriors faced in that game and overall this season. Both spoke of the need for the team to stick together and both seemed confident that things will eventually turn around.
Payton echoed some of his teammates' thoughts.
“We need to get back on track, do things right and do the easy things before it’s too late,” Payton said. “We have to decide when we want to get the connectivity back and do things for each other again, play for each other again and have trust on both sides of the ball again.”
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