Steve Kerr has made his message clear. The Warriors cannot afford to keep giving away possessions, especially with Stephen Curry and Draymond Green leading the team. Yet Golden State still committed 23 turnovers in its preseason 124-98 win over the Lakers. And one of them appeared to push the head coach over the edge.

The moment came early in the fourth quarter, with Golden State holding a 98-75 lead and 10:40 remaining. LJ Cryer had just stolen the ball and pushed the Warriors into transition. The 24-year-old guard drove through the middle of the floor and reached the free-throw line before trying to find Malevy Leons near the basket. The pass was too strong.

It sailed out of bounds, giving the Lakers the ball back. Steve Kerr immediately reacted heatedly from the sideline. Starting with a clapping gesture, he then placed his hand over his head, and finally covered his mouth while speaking. Social media was quick to read his lips, and an X account claimed that the Warriors coach allegedly said, “What the f— is he doing?” The broadcasters explained the reaction in a mild tone.

“And you see Steve does not like that turnover there. So look at his face. This is how you can tell this time for the Warriors right now. It’s important; he wants these guys to play the right way. He doesn’t like the turnovers.”

Cryer finished the game with two turnovers, both coming in the fourth quarter. Other Warriors also struggled to protect the ball, with Brandon Williams committing five, and Green, Brandin Podziemski, Graham Ike, De’Anthony Melton, and Gary Payton II each finishing with two.

But Cryer’s mistake came at a particularly frustrating point for Steve Kerr. Golden State had created the turnover and had a chance to turn defense into easy points. Instead, the possession ended before the Warriors could even get a shot off. It also came during a difficult night for the 24-year-old offensively.

LJ played only three minutes in Golden State’s preseason opener against the Clippers. He missed all of his field-goal attempts and scored his lone point from the free-throw line. Kerr gave him nine minutes against the Lakers, but the production remained limited. Cryer scored just two points on 1-of-5 shooting. He also went 0-for-4 from three. For a player competing for a bigger role, he needs to look back at his previous performances.

The former NCAA champion was one of the few bright spots for Golden State during the final stretch of last season. Despite dealing with an ankle injury for much of his run, he averaged 8.2 points and shot 39.4% from beyond the arc across 18 games in a Warriors uniform. His Summer League performances only strengthened the belief that he could develop into a rotational option for Steve Kerr.

LJ Cryer led Golden State with 17 points, five assists and five three-pointers in an 87-77 Summer League win over the New York Knicks at Cox Pavilion in Las Vegas. Previously he produced 25 points, six rebounds and four assists against the Dallas Mavericks, hitting five of his eight attempts from deep. So, now the pre-season performance will play an important role.

Earlier in the offseason, Golden State agreed to a one-year, $2.6 million deal with point guard Brandon Williams. The 25-year-old guard averaged 13.0 points and 3.9 assists across 66 games with the Mavericks last season, and his speed has already given the Warriors another option in the backcourt. Williams has also received a larger opportunity through the first two preseason games from Steve Kerr.

He has averaged 17 minutes while shooting 7-of-15 from the field. He has also added four rebounds and four assists, scoring 11 points in one game and 10 in the other. Had Golden State not signed Williams, LJ Cryer likely would have been among the favorites for the backup point guard role. Now, the path is less straightforward.

LJ Cryer has already shown that he can score and stretch the floor. He has also shown flashes of playmaking. What Steve Kerr needs to see now is consistency when those chances arrive. One mistake will not define his place on the roster. The Warriors head coach’s demand is cleaner basketball. Now, Cryer will need to make the next opportunity count.