Golden State Warriors coach Steve Kerr broke down the team’s 127-123 loss to the Portland Trail Blazers on Friday, emphasizing the impact of rebounding and size disadvantages.
“Yeah, that’s the game,” Kerr said about the Trail Blazers having 21 more offensive rebounds than his team, pointing out Portland converted many second-chance opportunities into three-pointers.
Kerr confirmed Al Horford was unavailable for the fourth quarter, limiting Golden State’s options to counter Portland’s athletic frontcourt. “I don’t know exactly what happened, but [Drew] Yoder came to me late third and said Al was out,” Kerr explained.
On overcoming size deficits, Kerr stressed execution and physicality. “You overcome it with execution and hitting bodies rebounding-wise. We tried to play big more in the second half…keep our bigger guys out there,” he said, noting adjustments with Quinten Post and Trayce Jackson-Davis.
The Warriors struggled to contain Portland’s offensive glass, yielding 28 second-chance points to just 10. Kerr said, “It’s definitely a concern…we have been playing relatively small lineups with Draymond at the five. We’ll think about going back to Quinten to get more size out there.”
Kerr defended Golden State’s overall defensive performance while highlighting offensive rhythm as a key area for improvement. “I’m more worried about our offense right now. Not a whole lot of rhythm, not a lot of flow…we’ve got to find a little better rhythm and get other people involved besides Steph and Jimmy,” he said.
Regarding defensive consistency, Kerr emphasized adjustments and film study. “We have to look at playing two bigs more often…watch the film and see if that’s something we want to do. I think we can get back there,” he added, referencing the team’s 22nd-place ranking in rebounds.
Kerr also reflected on the Warriors’ 50th anniversary celebration of their 1975 NBA championship, recalling childhood memories of the team’s success. “I remember seeing the celebration when they sealed it in Washington…It’s always fun to see them and welcome them back to the Bay,” Kerr said.
Golden State fell to 9-9 overall and 1-2 in NBA Cup play, while Portland improved to 7-9 and 2-1. The Warriors will host the Utah Jazz on Monday as they aim to correct rebounding and offensive issues.
