The Golden State Warriors are off to a frustrating 11-12 start, and head coach Steve Kerr has finally had enough. With the team still searching for its identity and struggling mightily without Stephen Curry, Kerr publicly called out two young players in unusually direct fashion: Jonathan Kuminga and Brandin Podziemski.
Speaking to ESPN’s Anthony Slater, Kerr didn’t hold back on what’s holding each player back.
On Jonathan Kuminga:
“I’m really urging for him to get up the floor instead of holding back and asking for the ball.”
On Brandin Podziemski:
“He’s got to get off the ball early. When he gets into trouble is when he tries too hard to make plays on his own.”
Kerr’s blunt assessment underscores a bigger issue plaguing the Warriors this season: inconsistency from key rotation players. While Golden State has flashed contender-level potential in spurts, far too many nights have exposed a team that looks playoff-miss vulnerable.
The absence of Stephen Curry — sidelined since November 26 with a quad injury and still without a firm return date — has only magnified those problems. Without their superstar point guard, the Warriors have looked lost offensively, and the margin for error from the supporting cast has shrunk to almost nothing.
Kerr’s public criticism is a clear message: Kuminga and Podziemski have to clean up their mistakes and play within the system if this team is going to turn things around. The talent is there to compete in the loaded Western Conference, but only if everyone buys in and executes their roles at a higher level.
With Curry inching closer to a return, the Warriors are running out of time to figure things out. Kerr just made it crystal clear who needs to step up — and fast.