The Golden State Warriors are reeling. A team that opened with a win against the LA Lakers has lost its rhythm, dropping four of its last five games. Stephen Curry’s absence due to illness has clearly hurt, but head coach Steve Kerr points to something deeper. The Dubs’ biggest battle isn’t with their opponents or injuries, but sloppy ball handling, which continues to break their signature flow.

On Tom Holbert’s podcast, Steve Kerr addressed the Warriors’ turnover issues. While the team can accept it from Stephen Curry and Draymond Green because of their overall impact, others are expected to have better ball-handling. “So, I’ve always been fine with Steph and Dray’s turnovers to a point; you have to draw the line somewhere, but they create so much good for us,” Kerr said.

“I mean, they’ve handled the ball so often over the years, and they create so much on their own, so much offense for themselves and others. So, you have to live with some of their turnovers, but that means the rest of the guys have to take care of the ball, and you have to find that balance, and that’s where we are right now,” he added.

In their last game against the Nuggets, the Warriors had 12 TOs against Denver’s 8. And this season, Kerr’s men have had an average of 16 TOs! While HC Kerr’s concern is genuine, of this 16, Curry leads with 2.9, followed by Kuminga and Green’s 2.8 each, meaning the rest of the squad is contributing just 7.5. It also hints at a subtle dig at Kuminga, as his next comment on Jimmy hints.

“We’re just too loose, too wild. And ultimately, what’s going to happen is the guys who emerge as the solid stabilizers who are playing next to Dray and Steph. That’s why Jimmy was the perfect fit for us last year, right? He came in, he took care of the ball, stabilized everything, and we went 23-8,” Kerr emphasized. Well, it was Jimmy’s arrival that took away Kuminga’s chances last season, and with 2.8 TOs and the benefit of doubt to Steph and Green, the message seems more for Kuminga than the rest.

“So look, we have the formula. We know exactly what we have to do here, and that’s take care of the ball and execute offensively, do a better job crashing and helping our transition defense, and if we do those things, we’ll consistently win. I have no doubt,” the HC further added.

The longtime Warriors head coach emphasized more careful ball handling from Jimmy Butler and the rest of the roster to compensate for Curry and Green. Well, turnovers have been a real issue for the Dubs, as currently the franchise ranks within the bottom half among all NBA teams in turnovers per game with 16.

So, there’s no doubt that this is an area that they need to work on. More so, given that recently, despite missing Steph Curry, things haven’t improved much, and the team has been equally careless with the ball. Amid this concerning state of his team, Steve Kerr has made a massive decision before his team’s next matchup.

Steve Kerr makes a huge decision for the Warriors amid their recent struggles

The Golden State Warriors weren’t expected to win every game without Stephen Curry, but they were expected to compete. Instead, they fell flat, undone by careless turnovers and poor defense. Frustrated by his team’s lack of discipline, head coach Steve Kerr issued a clear warning, urging the Warriors to take better care of the ball or risk lineup changes if the same mistakes continue.

“From the beginning of camp to the end of the season, we’re not going to stop harping on taking care of the ball. We give them the message every day. But what has to happen is, guys have to execute, or we have to start making changes,” Kerr said during his recent appearance.

Well, this isn’t the only time Kerr has emphasized ball handling this season, as not too long ago, the veteran head coach lauded rookie guard Will Richard, who had a career-high game against Sacramento, scoring 30 points, for the same. Not just that, he even sent a firm warning to the rest of the players. Kerr reminded his core rotational players that they need to start taking care of the ball seriously.

Otherwise, he’s got plenty of players within the organization who are ready to do so without blinking once. Now, whether these subtle threats from Steve Kerr prompt players other than Steph Curry and Draymond Green to make less risky plays or not will be something worth keeping an eye on when the Warriors play Indy on Sunday.