Steve Kerr, Golden State have stopped talking about losses

SAN FRANCISCO – Sometimes the best way to solve a problem is to stop admitting it. That is the correct approach The Golden State Warriors have solved their losing problemstrue ignorance is blissful access to one of their greatest weaknesses. And it kind of works.

After a 137-103 win over the Sacramento Kings, their biggest margin of the season, in which they committed just 11 turnovers, Steve Kerr mentioned that he and the team don’t even mention the word “traffic” again.

“I don’t mention that word,” Kerr said. “I’m just saying hit singles, be tough, tough wins the game, and I won’t bring it up again.”

No more putting together a compilation of bad passes and poor ball security for their film sessions. No more thinking about the turnover that led to the dunk at the other end in their rally. And there is no more objection to the fact that they are 23 in the league in turnovers 15.7 per game.

“Just total ignorance. That’s burying your head in the sand like an ostrich,” Kerr smiled. “And it works.”

Over the last three games, the Warriors have turned the ball over just 28 times (9.3 per game), well below their typical average. They have been able to protect the ball while still distributing the ball around the team in their offense centered around ball movement.

“You still have to walk that fine line that we always say,” Stephen Curry said after a 27-point, 10-assist night. “I know coach (Kerr) doesn’t talk about it anymore, but we’re very aware that’s the key to us winning the game. Because we use each other more than most teams. Checking, passing, moving the body, moving the ball.”

Steph Curry on what works offensively and puts together plays with a little twist:

I know the coach doesn’t talk about it anymore, but we are very aware that it is the key to our victories. pic.twitter.com/TmMM2ke39o

— Kenzo Fukuda (@kenzofuku) January 10, 2026

The origin of Steve Kerr’s “ignorance is bliss” psychological trick.

Kerr’s approach of not talking about lost players is not a new trick for the veteran coach. He cited the Warriors’ approach to solving the turnaround problem after the 2022 playoff series against the Memphis Grizzlies as a model for what they’re doing now.

“We did it in the 22′ after the series in Memphis, when we were turning it left and right,” Kerr explained. “We just decided, after showing clips of the losses and talking about it and putting the point in, that it wasn’t working, and we just stopped talking about it. And it worked.”

As for this season, Kerr decided to stop talking about losing games “a few weeks ago,” with that approach remaining in the last few games. But that tipping day is apparently somewhat recent as the Warriors have won eight of their last eleven games. In their last seven wins, they’ve scored at least 120 points, a sign that the offense has finally begun.

It’s a psychological correction that, whether Kerr knows it or not, has a real basis for it.

In Mike Prada’s book, spaced, he wrote about the “point five” philosophy in basketball, which highlights players who decide to shoot, dribble or pass within 0.5 seconds of catching the ball. It’s a principle Curry talks about often, given that the Warriors are a motion-heavy offense that requires decisive decision-making.

But Prada pointed out that one of the pitfalls of this philosophy is the “fear of failure.” he writes:

“Emphasizing the need to make instant decisions works well… until players make the wrong ones. Soon, the fear of failure takes over. Coaches and players inadvertently reinforce this when they lament their inability to take care of the ball. Without a set target for ‘instant decisions,’ players often overcorrect to make slower, more careful decisions, but will lead to mistakes that are less likely.”

The Warriors complained about their inability to take care of the ball. Whether it was Kerr nailing down that postgame presser deficit or the players fighting it through all their ups and downs. Draymond Green even said that after the 18-turnover loss to Portland, he had to “stop second-guessing” himself about his passes.

Kerr no longer acknowledges the problem of turnover, Kerr no longer evokes the fear of failure. No more fear of failure means no more instant death when it comes to instant decision making. In their last eleven games, the Warriors are averaging 30.3 assists per game. In the same period, they take fifth place in the league.

That’s not the solution to every problem in the world, but in this case of the Warriors, maybe it is.

“It’s a good life lesson,” Kerr joked. “Just ignore all your problems and never admit them. Don’t look in the mirror. Ignorance is bliss.”