Steve Kerr: Warriors 'Lacking Confidence' After Rout By Zion Williamson, Pelicans

Things went from bad to worse for the Golden State Warriors with Wednesday's 141-105 loss to the New Orleans Pelicans.

"We are lacking confidence," head coach Steve Kerr told reporters. "You get to a stage where you lose your belief. That happens. And that's what's happening with our team the last few days."

The version of Golden State that won four championships and reached six NBA Finals in eight seasons from 2014-22 has been nowhere to be found in 2023-24.

Wednesday's loss dropped Kerr's team to 17-20 overall and 2-6 in the last eight games. What's more, four of those six losses in that span came by double digits.

Defense was apparently optional for the Warriors in Wednesday's game, as eight different Pelicans and all five starters scored in double figures. Jonas Valančiūnas led the way with 21 points and nine boards, while Zion Williamson posted 19 points, seven assists and five rebounds.

Stephen Curry struggled with his shot at 4-of-13 shooting from the field for 15 points for the Warriors, which is always a recipe for defeat for Kerr's squad. Golden State doesn't have the depth of firepower to survive cold shooting nights from the future Hall of Famer, especially with Draymond Green still out.

This season has featured multiple suspensions for Green, inconsistent play from Klay Thompson and Andrew Wiggins, and even a report from The Athletic's Shams Charania and Anthony Slater saying "Jonathan Kuminga has lost faith in" Kerr.

It wasn't long ago anything less than a championship was considered a failure for the Warriors.

Now, even making the playoffs seems like something of a long shot. They are in 12th place in the Western Conference and 5.5 games behind the sixth-seeded Pelicans for the final spot above the play-in tournament cut line. They are 1.5 games behind the Houston Rockets for the 10th seed that would lead to a play-in spot.

Confidence is apparently an issue at this point, which is surely troubling ahead of a four-game road trip that starts Friday and features a matchup against the Milwaukee Bucks.

If Golden State doesn't turn things around soon, it may find itself playing out the string of a lost season by the spring.