Steve Kerr believes the Golden State Warriors were capable of going on a championship run in these playoffs had Stephen Curry not suffered a Grade 1 hamstring strain in Game 1 of the second round. The Warriors were eliminated by the Minnesota Timberwolves in Game 5 on Wednesday by a final score of 121-110.
“I don’t even have to think what [if],” Kerr said. “I know we had a shot. I know we could have gone the distance.
“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?”
The Warriors remained mostly competitive in the final four games of the series without Curry.
Draymond Green predicted the Warriors would win the title shortly after they traded for Jimmy Butler.
“I think I still have that belief, wholeheartedly,” Green said Wednesday night. “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.”
“I love our guys,” Kerr said. “This was a hell of a run for us considering where we were at the trade deadline. Jimmy changed our season, flipped everything for us, gave us a chance. We became one of the best teams in the league. And obviously, you get to the final eight in the NBA, you’re one of the best teams.
“We had a shot, but things didn’t go our way. Minnesota deserves the credit.”
