The Golden State Warriors have had a shaky start to their season thus far, and head coach Steve Kerr has been adamant about the fact that the team has to clean up the turnovers if it is going to have any chance to succeed.
It may seem like an obvious thing to point out and all NBA teams are surely trying to limit their turnovers, but it really is jarring to see just how much the Warriors suffer when they give the ball away needlessly.
Warriors' Steve Kerr knows turnovers are holding the team back
Golden State are 9-1 when they win the turnover battle against their opponent, and a staggering 1-9 record when they lost it. The Warriors have committed the fifth-most turnovers of any NBA team this season as they are averaging nearly 16 turnovers per game. That is not going to be sustainable, especially since the Warriors are essentially a .500 team right now and need to prove that they are more than just an average team.
"We just have to keep taking care of the ball, or start taking care of the ball. It’s the same formula. Obviously we’re missing one of the great players of all time so maybe there’s a few more play calls," Kerr said recently. I’m going to keep hammering that point home to you guys, to our team, because it’s the No. 1 determining factor whether we win or lose.”
Kerr's emphasis on limiting turnovers is consistent with his belief that the offense is the area of the team that needs the most improvement. Veteran players Draymond Green and Jimmy Butler have disagreed, saying the team needs to step it up on defense but obviously both ends of the floor could use some tune-ups.
Maybe the fact that the Warriors have a little time off after a rough schedule to begin the season will allow them to clean some things up in practice. Kerr is surely going to emphasize ball security in any upcoming practices, but it remains to be seen whether hammering home that point will make any appreciable difference in the team's turnover rate.
With how obvious the numbers are though, the Warriors have no choice but to improve when it comes to turning the ball over especially with superstar guard Stephen Curry out with injury. At the very least they made a positive start against the New Orleans Pelicans on Saturday night, giving the ball away only nine times in a hopeful sign of things to come.