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Steve Kerr Says Complacency Will Be Warriors' Biggest Issue Next Season
September 7, 2017
Coming off three straight appearances in the NBA Finals and two championships, Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr thinks his team will have to fight complacency to have another successful season in 2017-18.
Speaking to Marcus Thompson II of the Athletic, Kerr said staying motivated is going to be the Warriors' biggest obstacle in the upcoming season.
"The biggest challenge is complacency," he said. "We've been to The Finals three years in a row. And for our core group, I guess that would be four or five guys - Shaun (Livingston) and Andre (Iguodala), Steph (Curry), Klay (Thompson), Draymond (Green) - that's a long haul and you just cannot lose your edge in this league."
The Warriors had no problem finding the right motivation necessary to succeed during the 2016-17 season. They were reminded all summer about being the first team to blow a 3-1 lead in the NBA Finals to the Cleveland Cavaliers after winning an NBA-record 73 games during the regular season.
It also didn't hurt that Kevin Durant had to navigate the criticism he received after leaving the Oklahoma City Thunder to join the Warriors.
The Warriors retained all of their key free agents, including Durant, Curry, Iguodala, Zaza Pachulia and Shaun Livingston. They are heavy favorites to repeat as NBA champions, currently getting minus-160 odds from Odds Shark.
As the rest of the NBA world is forced to marvel at the collection of talent the Warriors have amassed, Kerr will have to find a new way to challenge his team if they want to win a second straight championship.