Steve Kerr has never been afraid of levity. Despite usually being tense on the sidelines, the Golden State Warriors head coach has a way of breaking tension with lines that let everyone exhale, so during a moment in the pre-game interview before tonight’s matchup against the Sacramento Kings, he didn’t go down the usual list of early-season slumps or rotations.

“My biggest concern right now is my fantasy team is 3-6,” Kerr told reporters, grin on his face. “And so, as I’m thinking about the Warriors season… It’s just in the back of my mind. I just have not coached my fantasy team well enough. And I got to do better.” The reporters all laughed at Kerr’s light delivery, but underneath that humor, is the calm of a seasoned coach choosing to smile through a storm.

Warriors star Stephen Curry, after the team’s matchup against the Phoenix Suns yesterday, looked spent, and in the post-game conference, Curry confirmed that he’d been facing an illness. “I’ll be all right,” Curry said.

“I just need a day to hopefully kick it to the curb and get back to full strength. I was good enough to get through the night, but it’s getting worse. … The second half tonight, the tank was on E.”

Like he indicated, Curry is sitting out tonight’s game, having admitted that it’d “take a lot for me not to play,” but added that he wanted to stay 100% for later in the season, especially with their packed early-season schedule, featuring 15 matches in 26 days.

Unfortunately for the Dubs, Curry’s not the only one sitting tonight. Star Jimmy Butler is nursing back soreness, something he was listed with going into yesterday’s Suns matchup.

During the game, things got worse for him, as the injury seemed to flare up, and Butler was forced to sit out the game midway through the second quarter.

Forward Draymond Green is also forced to watch from the sidelines tonight due to a rib issue, and the Warriors’ depth and youth will have to be the difference-makers against the Kings tonight.

So yes, Kerr’s fantasy team might be losing, but if things don’t go their way soon, imaginary lineups won’t be the first thing on the coach’s mind.

Draymond Green Reflects on Steve Kerr’s Future and Warriors Core

Draymond Green didn’t hesitate when asked about Steve Kerr and the Warriors’ future. For the long-term veteran, the story isn’t finished, and it’s one he wants to finish with the coach who helped usher in a dynasty.

During an interview, Green talked about how he and Steph want another chance, saying, “Steph has already said publicly that he doesn’t want to play for another coach… I struggle with change. I hate change. I am very much so the type of person where this thing happens like this and that’s that… But I don’t foresee Steve going anywhere.”

For Green, the continuity is personal. “I don’t think we’re done,” he added. “I think we’ve still got a lot left to give. We’ve all done this together, so I don’t foresee him going anywhere anyway. But I very much so want to finish this thing with the people that I’ve been through it with.”

After nearly two decades of championship-caliber basketball, Green’s loyalty to the coach and the renowned system he built reveals a deeper understanding of what sustained the Warriors’ success.

For a team balancing championship hopes in a transitional time, and what could be their final chance, the words carry the experience of a leader and a reminder that the end of an era is just as far away as their next win streak.