Dub Hub: Steve Kerr says Warriors ‘could have gone the distance’ if Steph Curry stayed healthy

Rounding up all Warriors and NBA related news for Thursday, May 15th.

In today’s Dub Hub:

• Steve Kerr believes the Warriors had a shot at another championship if not for injuries.
• Draymond Green isn’t worried about the Warriors core getting too old.
• Celtics beat Knicks, 127-102, without Jayson Tatum in Game 5.

The Golden State Warriors’ season came to a disappointing end Wednesday night after losing to the Minnesota Timberwolves in Game 5, 121-110. After dropping four straight to lose the series 4-1, head coach Steve Kerr reflected on what might have been had Stephen Curry not gone down with a hamstring injury in Game 1.

“I know we could have gone the distance,” Kerr told reporters postgame.

Curry missed the final four games of the series, and without him, Golden State collapsed on both sides of the floor. The offense never found its rhythm, struggling to generate spacing or consistent scoring. Those offensive issues bled into their defense, where they couldn’t string together enough stops to keep games within reach.

Had the Warriors managed to extend the series, there was still hope Curry could have returned for a potential Game 6 on Sunday after three full days of rest. But that opportunity never came. Their best shot, according to Kerr, was Game 3—the one he called the key to the series.

It’s no surprise that the Warriors couldn’t overcome a team like Minnesota without Curry on the floor. No championship-contending team expects to survive in the playoffs without its best player. So with that, Golden State’s season comes to a bitter end and now an offseason begins to retool the roster for another run next year.

For more on this and other news around the NBA, here is our latest news round-up for Thursday, May 15th:

Warriors News:

What’s next for Steph Curry and the Warriors after quiet elimination in Minnesota? | The Athletic

“Disappointing,” Lacob said, settling into a 10-minute conversation with The Athletic. “I really hoped we could extend the series and I’m …”

This is where he paused, understanding his next statement would come off as a discredit to the Timberwolves, but he fired it off anyway.

“I am pretty positive that if we had Steph, we’d have won this series,” Lacob said.

What Kerr told Podz after Warriors’ season-ending loss to Timberwolves | NBC Sports Bay Area

“This was a great experience for him,” Kerr told reporters after the loss. “There were times in this series where he was hesitant to shoot, even tonight he was 4-for-6.

“I thought he could’ve gotten 10 or 11 threes off, and we needed those. And I told him that after the game, I said, ‘When we get back here next season, you are not going to turn down a single shot.’”

Draymond Green isn’t worried about the Warriors’ Big 3 getting too old

Draymond Green on the Timberwolves title chances: “I think they have a real shot at it”

NBA offseason 2025: Draft, free agency, trade targets for 30 teams | ESPN

Even after surrendering its 2025 first-rounder in the Butler trade, Golden State still has four first-round picks available to use in a trade. They are allowed to include a maximum of four picks — 2026, 2028, 2030 (if 1-20) and 2032 — in a trade. They will send Washington their 2030 if it falls outside of the top 20. Golden State is also allowed to swap firsts in the next seven seasons. The Warriors have one second-rounder available.

NBA News:

Jaylen Brown, Celtics regroup to save season in Game 5: ‘We did it for JT’ | The Athletic

“We did it for JT,” Payton Pritchard said.

Despite feeling crushed for Tatum, who underwent surgery Tuesday, the Celtics aimed to avoid being sunk by the emotions of his injury. Jaylen Brown and Al Horford, according to Luke Kornet, addressed the team at a film session on the eve of Game 5. Even while the players were personally processing the blow of Tatum’s injury, the veterans reminded their teammates that the season wasn’t done yet.

Jamal Murray ‘very confident’ Nuggets can force Game 7 vs. Thunder | NBA

Standing in the way is Jokić, who’s rediscovered his shooting touch. He finished with 44 points on 17-of-25 shooting in Game 5. This after shooting 31.9% over the previous two games.

“I don’t think ‘Joke’ should be going through any type of slander when he’s still playing all-NBA-, MVP-, Hall of Fame-type of level,” Murray explained. “He’s been playing amazing. He does everything he can to win every single night.”

Current bracket for the NBA Playoffs

In case you missed it at Golden State of Mind:

6 quick takeaways as the season ends

Some will think that the loss to the Wolves exposed the Dubs, but that’s ridiculous. Teams don’t win in the playoffs without their best players. Heck, look at what happened the Cleveland Cavaliers without having Darius Garland and Evan Mobley in every game. And don’t let Wednesday’s blip from the Boston Celtics fool you: they’re toast with Jayson Tatum injured.

Golden State’s loss to Minnesota proved that they’re screwed without Curry, but we all already knew that.

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