The Golden State Warriors suffered their third straight defeat when they lost to the Minnesota Timberwolves on Sunday.
The Warriors have multiple players struggling to make an impact to begin the season, hurting the roster’s overall energy levels throughout games. That lack of energy has meant Steve Kerr has been relying on Brandin Podziemski and Trayce Jackson-Davis to change the tempo of games.
When speaking to the media following his team’s latest loss, Kerr noted how both rookies can consistently affect the floor for the Warriors. However, with so much talent, Kerr is cautious about changing the rotation. However, he noted that if the roster continues to struggle, Podziemski and Jackson-Davis could find themselves being part of the rotation more frequently.
“We’ve seen that Brandin and Trayce are ready to contribute. We saw it in training camp,” Kerr said. “These guys, they’re ready. We have to make the decision if we want to get them out there more. I’d love to. It’s tricky because we’re already playing 10, even without those guys. And I like everybody I’m playing. But if we struggle, we gotta get guys out there that give us a spark, and we know they’re both capable.”
Golden State’s rotation has looked devoid of energy for most of the opening few weeks. Outside of Steph Curry, very few players have impressed consistently. If bringing Jackson-Davis and Podziemski into the full-time rotation gives the team the boost it needs, it will not be long until Kerr makes that change.
[Slater] Steve Kerr: “No question. We need some scoring and playmaking from elsewhere (besides Steph Curry).”
byu/shanks_you inwarriors
It’s unlikely Kerr will make a change to the rotation in the immediate future. Yet, if the energy levels and production don’t start to trend in the right direction, Podziemski and Jackson-Davis could see their minutes take a sharp upturn.
