Tonight the Dubs will return to Warriors Ground
Steve Kerr is constantly nagged by Warriors roster crunch, who says, “It’s Really Hard.”
The Golden State Warriors were fortunate to have Draymond Green suspended indefinitely and Gary Payton II hurt.
With two of their most important players out with injuries, Steve Kerr was able to establish rotation stability. Since Green’s suspension, they have gone 5-2, with five consecutive victories.
The Warriors would have extended their winning streak to six games if they hadn’t been plagued by Stephen Curry’s Christmas curse and Klay Thompson’s shooting slump. They nearly defeated the defending champion Denver Nuggets.
Kerr will once again have tough decisions when Payton II returns this week or early next week and Green trains hard behind the scenes for a possible return in January.
“I consider it daily,” Kerr informed reporters during practice on December 27. “Sure, that’s my job.”
It is quite challenging. There are years when your top nine players are crystal clear, and you have to go with the flow. When you work with the lads, who are between the ages of 10 and 14, they know their jobs. Fitting them in is your goal if you want to keep them continuing.
When compared to last year, this one is quite unique. Thirteen players can be used in the lineup. Each and every one of them has the ability and the argument to be out there, but you can only play nine or ten. Some really tough choices to make.
Kerr has found his footing with a starting five that includes Curry, courageous freshman Brandin Podziemski, Thompson, Jonathan Kuminga, and Kevon Looney in the absence of Green and Payton II.
The оffensive fluidity оf that beginning unit is superiоr than their usual five-man with Green and Wiggins replacing Pоdziemski and Kuminga. Accоrding tо NBA advanced statistics, the Warriоrs’ starting five is 14.5 pоints better per 100 pоssessiоns than their previоus grоup.
Demoted The second team, which was led by Chris Paul and Dario Saric, gained a smart wing scorer in Andrew Wiggins. A major boost came from rookie big man Trayce Jackson-Davis as well. Moses Moody stands out as the outsider seeing from the inside.
Christmas Day’s game against the Nuggets saw Moody garner just two minutes of playing time.
Warriors’ Robust Reserve
In terms оf оffensive rating (64.3) and net rating (3.0), the Warriоrs’ bench is amоng the tоp fоur in the NBA this seasоn.
Along with starter Podziemski, the new-look second unit consisting of Wiggins, Paul, Saric, and Moody has had strong early returns. In 32 minutes of play in six games, they have outscored their opponents by 11.5 points per 100 possessions.
In only 23 minutes across five games, a group featuring Jackson-Davis, the Splash Brothers, Paul, and Kuminga has whipped up an incredible 34.2 net rating.
With Paul, Podziemski, Thompson, Kuminga, and Saric as their starting five, they have surpassed their opponents in scoring by an incredible margin of 53.9 points per 100 possessions in just 29 minutes of play over the course of six games.
Podziemski has been an integral part of the Warriors’ top lineups for a long time. Neither he nor Jackson-Davis were in the starting lineup at the beginning of the season. On the other hand, the rookies’ euphoric performances have prompted Kerr to play them.
When Kerr gets his hands on the whole squad of the Warriors, who will he face?
“Those questions become louder when Gary returns and Draymond returns, and it’s up to us as a staff to figure it out.”
Would the Warriors’ front office and Mike Dunleavy Jr. assist Kerr in a trade for consolidation?