After years of being a top NBA Finals contender, Steve Kerr and the Golden State Warriors are experiencing a season of challenges early on. Heading into their Christmas Day matchup against the Denver Nuggets, the Warriors were just 15-14. Not anymore.
After a tough 120-114 loss, where rookie Brandin Podziemski led Golden State with 13 points, the Warriors are officially playing .500 ball this year. Yet, it was the manner in which the Warriors lost that seemed to set Coach Kerr off after the game, one in which Nuggets star Nikola Jokic got to the line for 18 free throw attempts.
“I have a problem with how we are legislating the defense out of the game. We are enabling players to B.S. their way to the foul line. If I were a fan, I wouldn’t have wanted to watch the second half of that game. It was disgusting. It was just baiting refs into calls, but the refs have to make those calls. The players are really smart in this league. For the last decade, they’ve gotten smarter and smarter. We have enabled the players, and they are taking full advantage. It’s a parade to the free throw line, and it’s disgusting to watch.”
Golden State Warriors coach Steve Kerr after Nikola Jokic’s heavy dose of free throw attempts
It’s understandable that Kerr would be frustrated. Somehow his team’s defense held Jokic to a 33% field goal rate, making just 4-of-12 shots from the field. Yet, he still finished with 26 points, all thanks to making 18-of-18 shots from the charity stripe.