The Warriors have now lost four games in a row, and everyone around is starting to worry. During their last 113-105 defeat to the Suns this weekend, Stephen Curry finally returned from injury, but spoke candidly about his coach’s decision to use a 13-man rotation during the match.
Steve Kerr took the unconventional decision of using every player available during the contest, something he’s been trying out this season. However, once the game was over, the two-time league MVP wasn’t too convinced about this strategy and hinted at the possibility of using less rotations moving forward.
“Do we need to shorten it?” the guard asked Anthony Slater of The Athletic. “We probably need to be more predictable on a night-to-night basis so guys can get a little bit of a rhythm. Is that shortening it one or two guys? Maybe.”
"Hard for anybody to try to get a rhythm" – Steph Curry advocates for more streamlined Warriors rotation after 4-game losing streak https://t.co/XgHqHinBvw #NBA #Basketball
— NOTO Sports (@noto_sports) December 1, 2024
Even though his tactician’s approach was working well at the start of the campaign, with Golden State reaching the top of the Western Conference standings, now they are down to the fourth spot with a 12-7 record. This is why Kerr might need to rethink his master plan for the future.
Nevertheless, the veteran guard recognized that his coach must make difficult choices when faced with rotation, while using Moses Moody as an example. His teammate only played two minutes against Phoenix, despite his strong displays in other games. “It’s hard as hell,” Curry said. “No two ways around it.”
“Mo played two minutes tonight,” he explained further. “Kyle played seven. Two games ago, Mo [Moody] had a stretch where he had 15 (points) and then played four minutes in the second half. It’s hard for everybody. Coach’s job is to make those tough decisions. It’s our job to help him. If you’re not playing, don’t pout, don’t bring the locker room down. It doesn’t help anybody. Including yourself.”
As for Steph’s recovery from his knees, he felt strong. “They felt good tonight,” he shared. “It was a rough start. I had to play better in the first half—get myself going. I just was testing it out, seeing how they would respond with a little break, but it was good all the way through.”
Teammate Draymond Green becomes second in all-time block list for Warriors this weekend with total of 837 career blocks
Even though Golden State just fell to yet another defeat this weekend, Draymond Green reached an important milestones within the California franchise. Against Phoenix, he posted 13 points, 7 assists, two rebounds, two steals, and one lone block, which took him into second place on the team’s all-time blocks list.
Now that the veteran has surpassed Joe Barry Carroll on this significant list, he has made 837 career blocks, trailing only Adonal Foyle, who leads the club with a 1,140. Once the match was over, the four-time champion revealed he wasn’t aware of this accomplishment.
“Hell no,” Draymond said when he was asked if he knew about his historic feat. “I didn’t know until somebody sent it to me. I saw it after the game.”
However, inside the Warriors’ locker room, it wasn’t all smiles that night. “[We have to] challenge guys to play with force,” Green told the press after their fourth-straight loss. “We know [what] it takes to win basketball games at this level. When you’re in a bit of a rut, it’s never going to be easy to win.”
