The Golden State Warriors are a middling basketball team right now. It may be a tough thing for fans to accept, but head coach Steve Kerr admitted what many fans probably need to hear about this iteration of the team.
It might be sad, but it's also true that the Warriors right now are more of a .500 team that seems more likely to be a Play-In team in the Western Conference rather than a perennial contender. There were some who hoped coming into the year that the team could be one of the top-seeded teams in the West, but those hopes have been quickly dashed despite a 4-1 start.
Steve Kerr admits Warriors can't compete for titles every season anymore
As much as it may have been surprising for a head coach to be so dismissive of his own team, Kerr was just being brutally honest in a recent interview on the Tom Tolbert Show.
"We know we’re not where we were five,six years ago…. I just don’t want anybody to think that we’re all delusional and thinking we should be competing for titles year in and year out with San Antonio and Oklahoma City the next few years. That’s not realistic."
Kerr's comments are in line with ones he made recently about the Warriors being a "fading dynasty." Everyone knows that this dynasty is nearing its conclusion, but it's rare to hear a head coach talk about these things so directly right in the middle of a season.
Steve Kerr says it’s not realistic to expect the Warriors to compete with OKC and Spurs over the next few years
— NBA Courtside (@NBA__Courtside) January 2, 2026
“We know we’re not where we were 5/6 years ago…. I just don’t want anybody to think that we’re all delusional and thinking we should be competing for titles year in… pic.twitter.com/R1ohdaK8rK
It almost makes one wonder if Kerr is beginning to see the writing on the wall and may even be planning his exit from the organization. His contract is up after this season, so maybe he will choose to step aside if he truly believes the team doesn't have a realistic shot at a title anymore.
It would be a somewhat jarring decision considering all of the success he has had as head coach of the Warriors, yet he also wouldn't want to overstay his welcome and get axed by owner Joe Lacob if the team is not playing up to high standards.
Kerr is right that it is hard to see this Warriors team making a real run in the playoffs. Sure, they could get hot and if they peak at the right time, and Stephen Curry stays healthy, you never know what could happen. Yet to outlast the Spurs or Thunder in a seven game series is a tall order and Kerr understands that even if it's not what many fans want to hear.
We'll see what the rest of the season holds, but Kerr's recent comments certainly make one think about his future with the franchise.