Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr is heading into the new NBA season under more pressure than perhaps at any point in his coaching career. Stephen Curry has tweaked his ankle days before the season opener, rookie Yaxel Lendeborg has been thrust into the starting line-up, and Kristaps Porzingis is sidelined indefinitely with a mysterious medical issue. Here is everything going on in Steve Kerr’s world right now.
Curry ankle scare days before the opener
The latest Steve Kerr news arrived just before the regular season tipped off, when Stephen Curry tweaked his ankle during an open practice on Sunday 18 October. The two-time MVP was limited to just 43 games last season by ankle, quadriceps and knee problems, so any lower-body knock set off alarm bells among Warriors supporters.
Kerr was quick to calm fears after speaking to his star guard. Asked about the injury by reporters, he confirmed Curry had simply tweaked his ankle rather than anything more serious. “Yeah, he said it’s fine,” Kerr explained, nodding and shaking his head to underline that the injury was not a major one. Curry’s status for the season opener against the Los Angeles Lakers on 21 October was left up in the air, but the early signs suggest the Warriors avoided the worst.
With Curry entering his 18th NBA season at 38, Kerr knows managing his body will be one of the defining tasks of the year. If Curry misses time, De’Anthony Melton is the backup point guard, with Brandon Williams and Gary Payton II also in the mix.
Honest verdict: “We’re not close to where we want to be”
Steve Kerr has never been a coach to hide behind empty optimism, and his preseason assessment was brutally honest. Speaking after the Warriors’ 101-89 preseason win over the Lakers in Las Vegas, Kerr told reporters that his side was still a long way from being a finished product.
“We’re not anywhere close to where we want to be. But we’re working on the right things. We have a clear vision. Players are great guys, they’re committed, they want to do well. But our execution is scattered at this point,” he said. “We just gotta keep working, it’s not going to happen overnight.”
Kerr pointed to a lack of flow and recognition on offence, saying the team was not getting to its spots and was falling back on the random, improvised basketball he has spent the preseason trying to coach out of them.
Rookie Yaxel Lendeborg handed a starting role
In one of the boldest decisions of his coaching career, Kerr confirmed that rookie Yaxel Lendeborg, the 11th overall pick, will start on opening night. That is a significant statement from a coach historically reluctant to trust rookies, who never quite regained faith in Jonathan Kuminga.
Lendeborg earned the opportunity with a superb preseason and summer league, capped by a 17-point, five-assist performance in the Warriors’ 128-118 preseason finale win over Portland. Jimmy Butler’s ACL rehabilitation opened the small-forward spot for the youngster to grab.
Draymond Green has gone even further than his coach, calling Lendeborg the potential future face of the franchise. Kerr refused to heap that pressure on the rookie before his debut. “That’s a lot to put on a young guy who hasn’t played a game yet. So that’s the last thing I’m thinking about,” Kerr said. “But I know that he’s ready to play and contribute and be one of our best players. It’s obvious.”
What Kerr likes about the rookie
Kerr praised Lendeborg as coachable and hungry to win after helping Michigan win the NCAA national championship in 2026, but warned that growing pains are inevitable.
The Kristaps Porzingis question mark
The strangest subplot of Kerr’s preseason has been the indefinite absence of Kristaps Porzingis, who missed training camp with a private medical issue. The Latvian big man joined Golden State via trade last February and signed a two-year extension over the summer, but his timeline to play remains completely unknown.
Kerr has been measured about the situation: “He will be around, but we’re not going to make it a daily Kristaps discussion. When we have something to report, then we will do so,” he said. Porzingis took to social media to shut down severe health rumours, saying he is working with experts and making progress while asking for patience.
For Kerr, it is another rotation headache he could do without, with the Warriors’ frontcourt already thin.
Roster decisions and the road ahead
Ahead of the opener, Kerr finalised his roster with veterans Georges Niang and Charles Bassey earning spots, underlining his plan to blend experience around the core. After the Portland finale, he also stressed the need to cut down on turnovers, a recurring preseason problem testing his patience.
- Stephen Curry: ankle tweak in practice, day-to-day
- Yaxel Lendeborg: confirmed starter on opening night
- Jimmy Butler: out, finishing ACL rehab
- Kristaps Porzingis: sidelined indefinitely, private medical issue
The 2026-27 campaign is shaping up as one of the most challenging of Steve Kerr’s tenure. Between an ageing superstar’s fragile body, a rookie being asked to grow up fast, and a roster short on depth after a quiet summer in free agency, the coach will have to earn every win. The Lakers await in the opener.
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