There’s plenty of frustration going around in the Bay Area.
As the Golden State Warriors have lost four of their last six games, and as they struggle to stay above .500, a fan published an email exchange he had with team owner Joe Lacob in which both parties expressed their frustration with the team’s performance.
The fan, Justin Dutari, published the exchange on Reddit Sunday, Dec, 14.
“Dear Joe, please do something about this Team,” the email Dutari sent begins, before asking if Stephen Curry needs to score 50 points every night to win.
“Team is (in) need (of) a real second option,” Dutari continues. “Jimmy’s (Butler) tools are being underutilized because he is playing as a power forward due to the small position players. We have no true center.
“I am so frustrated.”
Lacob’s response was brief, but direct.
“You can’t be as frustrated as me,” Lacob wrote. “I am working on it. It’s complicated. Style of play. Coaches desires regarding players. League trends. Jimmy is not the problem.”
The part about “coaches desires” raised questions about a possible disagreement in philosophy between Lacob and coach Steve Kerr. The Warriors confirmed the authenticity of the email, and Kerr responded to the comments Lacob made in a news conference Tuesday, Dec. 16.
“It’s not a big deal,” Kerr told reporters Tuesday. “I’m not concerned about anything like that.
“Well, we’re all frustrated. Joe is frustrated, I’m frustrated – Steph and (Draymond Green). Everybody is frustrated. This is kind of how the league works. I hate when people post private emails. Imagine if everyone’s private emails were posted and how tough that would be to live our lives. Joe supports me 100%. I support him and we have a great connection.”
The Warriors are 13-14 and currently ranked eighth in the Western Conference standings. The team, however, faces questions about the future, as Curry (37 years old), Green (35) and Butler (36) are approaching the eventual descent of their careers.