It didn't take long Friday at the Golden State Warriors media day for reporters to ask Steve Kerr how he feels. The past two seasons the fourth-year coach has missed significant time, including most of the team's playoff games earlier this year, dealing with back problems.
So how does he feel now, with the new season just around the corner?
“Who knows?” Kerr said, via The San Jose Mercury News. “As Vin Scully once said, ‘We’re all day-to-day.'”
Scully's actual quote from long ago: "Andre Dawson has a bruised knee and is listed as day-to-day. Aren't we all?" Speaking of Andre, Kerr has Andre Iguodala returning this year, along with Steph Curry, Kevin Durant and most of the rest of the cast that won 67 regular-season games, then went 16-1 in the playoffs to win their second NBA title in three years.
But Kerr missed 11 of those playoff games with back issues. His problems stem from an operation he underwent following the Warriors' 2015 NBA Finals win.
Kerr missed the first 43 games to start the 2015-16 season, and has had recurring issues since. He admits he's still not 100 percent.
“I’m not a 100 percent, but I’m on a good path,” Kerr said. “I’m confident that I will be 100 percent at some point — hopefully, sooner rather than later.
“It’s been a long odyssey. It’s not easy. But I’m lucky to have support. … Everybody is constantly supportive.”
If it makes Kerr feel any better, the Warriors enter the season as the overwhelming favorites to repeat as NBA champions, according to Las Vegas sportsbooks. Kerr said he believes the team will be improved this year.
"I think we'll be better this year," Kerr said (via ESPN). "We're deeper. As I talked about, the continuity is really important. But the challenge is obvious. Three years in a row in the Finals, trying to make it a fourth.
"Very few teams in the history of the league have done that, and there's a reason. It's a long haul, so we're going to have to navigate the season, pace ourselves but not lose our edge, and that's the balance we're looking for."
