Warriors adjusting to new ‘reality’, says Steve Kerr

Golden State Warriors’ Draymond Green, second from left, argues with referees during the second half of the team’s NBA basketball game against the Los Angeles Clippers on Thursday, Oct. 24, 2019, in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Ben Margot)

Steve Kerr has warned the Golden State Warriors they may have to get used to results like their season-opening drubbing against the Los Angeles Clippers.

The Warriors, who have reached the NBA Finals for the past five seasons, winning three of them, suffered a brutal mauling on Thursday, pounded 141-122 by the Clippers at the Dubs’ new Chase Center home on the San Francisco waterfront.

The chastening reverse followed an off-season of upheaval for the Warriors, who saw Kevin Durant opt to leave while Klay Thompson remains out with a knee injury.

“This is not a one-off, this is the reality,” Kerr said following the loss, which was the heaviest in terms of points conceded suffered by the Warriors coach.

“There’s going to be nights like this year. You’ve got to play through it, you’ve got to keep fighting and keep getting better. That’s the plan.”

Kerr said the Warriors dip was inevitable after a five-year reign of dominance which saw them discussed as one of the greatest teams in NBA history.

“It doesn’t feel very good,” Kerr said. “It’s no fun. This is more the reality of the NBA. The last five years we’ve been living in a world that isn’t supposed to exist.

“Five years of, if I remember, the best record anybody’s ever had over five years.

“So this is reality, nine guys 23 or younger, and we’re starting over in many respects.”

Warriors star Draymond Green was characteristically blunt about the performance, saying the team had “sucked.”

“We gotta get better,” Green said. “I’m not a coach, so I’m not about to go watch a film and say, ‘Oh, well we can build on this.’ I really don’t give a damn about what we can build on. We sucked.”