Kerr: Warriors 'could have gone the distance' with healthy Curry
Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr believes his team would have been title contenders with a healthy Steph Curry.
"I know we had a shot. I know we could have gone the distance," Kerr lamented after the Warriors were ousted from the postseason thanks to a 121-110 defeat in Game 5 on Wednesday night, per ESPN's Ohm Youngmisuk.
"Maybe we wouldn't have, but it doesn't matter. Again, everything in the playoffs is about who stays healthy and who gets hot. Are you playing well at the right time?"
Curry injured his hamstring early in the second quarter of Game 1 and was sidelined for the remainder of the series.
The Warriors had a 10-point lead when he exited the game and managed to hold on to a 99-88 victory. Golden State proceeded to lose four consecutive contests by a combined 47 points.
The two-time MVP was cleared for light on-court workouts and was scheduled to be re-evaluated ahead of a potential Game 6.
Golden State traded for star wing Jimmy Butler at the trade deadline and immediately turned into one of the NBA's best teams, going 20-7 with a net rating of plus-9.9 - the third-best mark in the league - after the All-Star break.
Butler and veteran forward Draymond Green claimed the Warriors were title contenders shortly after the blockbuster deadline acquisition.
"I think I still have that belief, wholeheartedly," Green said Wednesday. "That has not changed one bit. And you retool, you do whatever it is that you got to do to take that next step and give yourself a better chance."
Kerr admitted that Butler was dealing with a tailbone injury sustained from a fall in Round 1 against the Houston Rockets. "I think he was definitely compromised through all series. I think the injury in Houston definitely impacted him. He's been playing through pain."
The Warriors' starting unit is all under contract for next season, but former top-10 pick Jonathan Kuminga will become a restricted free agent this summer. Golden State also sent its 2025 first-round pick to the Miami Heat as part of the Butler trade.