Draymond Green says Warriors don’t expect to have Steve Kerr return during playoffs

Steve Kerr is dealing with complications from back surgery.

The Warriors are not counting on head coach Steve Kerr to return to the bench this postseason. 

Draymond Green told reporters Monday that he and his teammates do not expect to have Kerr rejoin the team by the end of the playoffs. 

“I think the way we look at it is plan on him (Kerr) not coming back,” Green said, according to CSN Bay Area. “That’s the way we’re approaching this thing ... Mike Brown is our coach, we have the rest of our staff, and that’s who we’re rolling with.

“We’re gonna hope and pray that Steve gets better and can get back. But at the end of the day, his health is more important than anything ... we know how bad he wanted to be here and how bad we would love for him to be here. But at the end of the day, he needs to take care of what he has to take care of.

“And whether that’s this year or next year, then you know, we’re ready. But we’re gonna approach this entire thing as ‘Steve isn’t coming back.’ And that’s our approach for this entire playoffs until we hear otherwise.”

Brown, formerly the head coach of the Cavaliers, has assumed Kerr’s duties, though Kerr maintains close contact with the coaching staff. 

Kerr had previously acknowledged that he may be forced to sit out the rest of the postseason. 

Kerr coached the first two games of Golden State’s four-game sweep of the Blazers in the first round before taking an indefinite leave of absence. He is currently dealing with neck pain, nausea and severe headaches believed to be associated with the two back surgeries he underwent in the summer of 2015. Those surgeries caused Kerr to miss the first 43 games of the 2015–16 season.