Warriors News: Steve Kerr Reveals Golden State's Changes For 2018/19 Season

Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr won his third NBA championship in four years after his side swept the Cleveland Cavaliers earlier this summer. However, he'll now have to make sure his players guard against complacency during the upcoming 2018/19 season.

Many have continually criticized the Warriors for "ruining" the league, particularly after their signing of Kevin Durant in 2016 which saw the last two NBA finals being barely competitive.

And with the addition of DeMarcus Cousins this summer, the Bay Area side could potentially start five All-Stars. Many people now, including bookmakers, see them completing the first three-peat in the NBA since the Los Angeles Lakers did it from 2000 to 2002.

However, there is always the risk of the star players such as Durant, Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson getting complacent or lacking a real challenge after their recent domination of the league. To counter this, Kerr is not going to change a winning formula in their style of play, but instead, he will tweak specific aspects such as their routine to freshen things up.

"We have our coaching retreat and that’s going to be the major topic of discussion," Kerr told the San Francisco Chronicle. "My gut is to change some things up, to change our routine a little bit. We’ve basically been doing the same thing for four years. We’re not going to change our style of play. We’ll definitely add a few plays for DeMarcus (Cousins) down on the block. But for the most part, we’re not going to change who we are."

"I do think in order to keep their interest, and to keep them fresh, we’ve got to change some aspects of our routine, and we’ll see what that means. Could mean altering or even getting rid of shootarounds, (or) only having shootarounds occasionally. Could mean changing the structure of practice, changing the amount of time we’re on the floor, maybe mixing up some different drills."

Kerr understands the difficulties he faces if he is to guide his side to another championship. The Warriors could reach the NBA Finals for the fifth time in 2019, something not done since the sixties when the Boston Celtics went 10 years in row from 1957 to 1966. Such an achievement is not to be understated and the 52-year-old believes coaching creativity and player leadership will play a role in accomplishing that feat.

"I’ll ask you if you know the answer. Do you know the last time a team went to the Finals five years in a row?" Kerr asked. "I don’t know the exact answer, you can look it up. None of the modern-era iconic teams have done it. Not the Bulls, Spurs, Lakers, Celtics of the '80s."

"There’s a reason. It’s a difficult challenge. Summers get shorter and shorter, teams are getting better and better. The motivation to get the first championship is palpable every single day during the season, and after you win a few it’s harder to generate that same type of energy and enthusiasm. And that’s where the coaching creativity comes into play, and that’s when your internal (player) leadership comes into play."

The Warriors will begin their 2018/19 campaign Oct. 16 when they host the Oklahoma City Thunder.