Steve Kerr on Warriors Lineup Decisions, Matchup with Heat | Dec. 27, 2023
Yeah we uh we didn’t see Draymond or Gary downstairs at practice um do you have anything to share about either of their statuses uh Gary practiced today so um he’s I don’t know what his status is for tomorrow’s game but he’s um you know he’s making making strides and we
Didn’t scrimmage but we did have some live you know half court stuff and he went through everything so I don’t I don’t have any updates beyond that and the Draymond stuff everything is is just private you know that’s behind the scenes and really don’t have anything to uh to comment on on that
Front we know obviously there’s a lot of players to get into a rotation already and then when gb2 is back when Draymond is back you know still up in the air but you know you do have two more players coming back in do you have to start making some real solid decisions there
Or are you thinking about that realizing you’ve got even two more coming how what’s kind of the mindset with all these things kind of floating around with your rotation I think about it every day um that is my job of course but um it it’s it’s really hard because
Um I think I’ve I’ve told you guys this but some years it’s just really obvious who your top nine are and um and you just roll with those guys and you know the the the guys 10 through 14 understand roles and you work with
Them and you try to you know fit them in to keep them going but uh this year’s is um very different in that regard I think um we could we play 13 guys um you know in in the rotation um any one of them is
And every one of them is qualified to to be out there and could make the case that they should be out there but you can only play nine or 10 so um very difficult decisions I had to make one the other night and you know Moses only played the two-minute stretch in the
Second and Moses has has played well for us this year and that was that was difficult ult um I talked to him before the game to let him know that was happening um but to your point we get Gary back we get Draymond back um those
Those questions um get louder and and we have to figure that out as a staff St kind of in that same vein when when you made a change to go to Brandon instead of w Wiggins you said hopefully sometimes guys need a jolt how Wigan seems like he’s responded kind of the
Way you wanted him to what’s been your evaluation of how he’s played these last I think five or six wigs has been great um looks like a different guy um he’s uh attacking the rim he’s getting fouled he’s looks more fluid um shooting the ball um he’s really responded well and
Uh was um you know maybe our best player um you know in Denver and so I’m really thrilled with the way he’s he’s responded and the way he’s playing and hopefully that continues you like him having him anchor that second unit because I mean the whole second unit has
Been playing well for you all year but having him kind of be that one main guy out there is is that a good role for him or do you want to see him keep pushing and try to work his way back into the starting yeah I mean again we could we
Could have this conversation about um so many guys on our team um but um I think wigs has been a nice addition you know the way I look at it Chris and Dario kind of anchor that that second group they’re they’re the constants um and we’ve tried different people around them
But those two guys um in every lineup combination far really well um so that the that that unit is is really based around them but wigs has really given that group another attacker and a postup guy you saw in Denver he scored three or four hoops right at The Rim um and
That’s what we need from wigs but he can do that with the starting group too so if he keeps playing well then he very well could end up back in the starting lineup but you know we’re just kind of taking it day by day you probably saw
Kaminga wasn’t I don’t think he was complaining but he was on the borderline of that about how much game he has that he can show and then sometimes he’s right back on the bench he’d like to play more I’m sure uh how much communication do you have with him just
About that I’m sure it’s continuous but uh I’m sure you want all your players to want to play more but sometimes you do see in him that he does different stuff how much is it on your mind like I really have to get make sure he plays
But then you’ve got obviously the roster crunch too yeah yeah I mean it’s we talk every day we we watched a bunch of film today together um so I’m thrilled with JK’s development um I think um what he’s doing a better job of right now is just
Getting the ball out of his hands quickly um when it comes to him so it’s a it’s a quick Swing Swing when we have an advantage I’ve I’ve seen him get five or six assists over the last three games where he’s caugh caught it and immediately swung it to staff or clay
For an open shot and those plays early in the season he wasn’t seeing he was catching and holding and our offense was um getting stopped and so um plays like that he’s starting to improve upon um they’re still um a lot that goes into to winning um you know I don’t mind those
Comments at all every every guy wants to play and JK’s a really talented guy um but um you know every game I have to read the game you know and and wigs wigs was um our best player he’s playing you know in that position um you know we we
Decided to go with wigs down the stretch and um you know it was um that was a pretty those were easy decisions um for me so um the game before I think JK finished and he was playing great and it’s like it’s just going to vary from
Game to game for everybody you know um and that’s just where our team is right now where JK is too one one thing that he said in that story is that sometimes he comes out of the game not knowing what he did wrong I guess how much teaching has to happen in
Those moments for him in particular compared to maybe someone else um yeah more with the young players for sure and so um you know a day like today we had yesterday off so a day like today I show him those reasons I show him the plays
That we need him to improve upon and do something different and and so he’s still a young player with very little experience you know as foundationally and so there’s a lot of plays that um you know you just have to show them where the cut is where the box out is
Where uh the right position to be in is because all these things um matter when it comes down to a one possession game like most of our games are and so you show them show them on film and you know you move on to the next day and he’s
Done a great job of really U embracing coaching and um um and we’re going to continue to coach him and and help him you know be in the right spots and make the right plays asked you this before um I don’t know if we could get different
Answer this time but can you play kaminga Wiggins together more or is that just the what the equation it doesn’t work with those two on the floor I I think um it’s something we um uh will will try um with some um maybe new people around them um their
Numbers are not good together frankly they’re very redundant um so um you know the the the the the tape and the numbers um haven’t been great so but we recognize too that we have a level that we need to get to to Really compete at the highest level and if those two guys
Can coexist on the floor it does give us an elevated athleticism um and and elevated potential but we have to find the right combination of people around those two
Steve Kerr met with the media to preview the Golden State Warriors matchup with the Miami Heat.
36 Comments
MUCH respect for these Pro's. Alot of sacrifice & hard work…& gosh, it's absolutely even harder healing & going thru PT to get back. Let's Go Warriors❤ Amazing & Resilient team. Coach Kerr is a Gem💎
He’s a stupid coach who can’t develop young players because his loyalty is to the veterans. He says JK and Wiggs numbers are not good together but he’s Wiggins and Klay lead the team with the worst NET RATING of NEGATIVE 81 and they play together. But Steve Kerr is so focused on using Jk as the scapegoat. He’s been one of the worst coaches in the NBA ever since Mike brown left him. Can someone start a petition to Fire Steve ? Enough is enough.
Oh wow, uploaded by the Warriors YT
Kuminga has the 2nd most 4th quarter points this year for the Warriors, only Curry has more. He’s done this despite Kerr only playing him the 6th most minutes in the 4th. Kerr needs to play Kuminga 30min a night and close with him – we need his scoring, we need his defense, we need his energy and athleticism.
Against Denver, Kuminga had 13pts and 5reb in 20min against Denver and Kerr subs him out with 4min left in 4th and the vets can’t close again. Same old story
Shout out KAWAKAMI for asking the question we all been wanting to ask.
"we have to find the right combination for JK and Wiggs to play together". He means Klay can't be out there with them, and for some reason he thinks Klay should always be out there. His reasoning is weak – yank whoever makes a mistake but never yank a favored son.
Kerr's "easy decision" to not use Kuminga came with a loss. If you can't have Wigs and Kuminga on the court at once something is wrong. Maybe I need a film session with Kerr because I'm not fucking seeing it.
Hey Warriors, if Wiggins and Kuminga are redundant, then why re-sign Wiggins? (And indeed now that Warriors press has pressed this issue so much Kerr has put on tape for all to see that the team feels this way until further notice…meaning it's clear you could get a deal in trade for either….meaning why re-sign Wiggins having never given JK enough minutes to know, or why not just give the #7 pick his open lane to learning and getting better and showing you?
I guess the Warriors felt Wiggins is more proven and that it would be "a good problem to have." If so if i were the Warriors and Kerr i'd start answering that question better, differently.
I get the thinking, Wiggins is more proven than JK. Just don't like how it restricts them and how this question in warriors land being so important has now exposed for the league that the Warriors have a situation there (let us hope that some combo of other players does work well with Wiggins and JK out there, or that they find a trading partner for Wiggins if he can keep up his only very recent good play. I do not hope for a JK trade, but could see it as they signed Wiggins. This is why some of us really questioned signing Wiggins once his bad Minny deal ended.
I of course hope i'm wrong and that it does end up being "a good problem to have."
Jk play him or trade him he will never get better
Kuminga needs to play more, PERIOD!
What a clown Steve Kerr, really the reason he dont like to play Kuminga and Wiggins, its because they had not look good. Its not because playing both would be less Klay minutes and you dont want that. I dont know why these reporters dont ask Kerr about the sample size of playing together Wiggins and Kuminga. Lets see some stats, Wiggins and Kuminga have play together only 106 minutes, the game is 48 minutes, su you know its just a sample of a little more than 2 full games? They are plus minus -53, and is not good, but again its a very small sample size. Who is working with you with those stats? You know what is a really bad combination, Stephen Curry and Wiggins 542 minutes playing together, thats a lot of minutes and they started a lot of the games, they are together plus/minus -98, worst on the team, 2 worst are Klay Thompson and Wiggins 471 minutes and they are plus/minus -90, they also were starters. 3 worst is Klay Thompson and Looney with 478 minutes and a plus/minus of -60. Are they starters? What happened with the data of your coaches? 4 worst is Wiggins and Looney they play 417 minutes ana they are plus/minus -59. As you see many of the worst plus/minus they had, are because of the starters and a lot of the worst combination its with Wiggins. So when Kerr say he does not want to play Wiggins and Kuminga together its a joke because is small sample, and Kerr is playing heavy minutes for players that are starters and are playing really bad.
Kerr is Nick picking on jk game to justify the benching ..lets forget that and just play him more.. nobody has been good around wiggs this season , Small ball with old , non Athletic ,injury prone players is tough, and in top of that you have a lot 1 way players , the scorers can't defend and stop no-one , and the defenders are alergic to attack , don't even look at the basket , the young guys can more or less do both but they're not consistent because of the lack of playing time and the pressure to not mess up.. Last year the problem was the bench , this year everyone knows who are the ones who have to step up their game, until that happens let the youngsters to learn in order to be able to contribute later , maybe in the playoffs ( if they figure out) when we all know Kerr will be more hesitant to play them ..
Kerr is a good coach for ready players but he sucks in players development..
With Dray back, Kuminga will get benched again
Let the trio KTC-Kuminga-Thompson-Curry-Key To Championship.work together.plus others will be great.
Kerr needs to stop pairing Steph with both Looney and KT to match up with the other team’s starting lineup. That’s why Warriors keep falling behind by 10 points after the first eight minutes of the game. This just waste Steph’s energy and minutes.
KT should match up with the other team’s second unit so he doesn’t get burned by the elite athletes but can still score a lot with his fantastic shooting ability.
Steve stop saying Kuminga is a young player? BP is young and it seems like you have confidence in him.i truly hope we don't loose him that will not be good
Kerr gots a big mouth 😂why isnt anyone calling him out on the jokic comments .
A Quote from Steve Kerr " every game I have to read the game"
SIR…. I submit to you that you have left approximately 5 potential wins on the board, because of your INABILITY to READ THE GAME….
decided to go with Wiggs and lost the game
Keer is a joke .. i had no problem with him b4 but having to much talent exposes his inability to strategize and keep the very best on the floor
It's time for Kerr to cut his rotations to 9 players
PG – CP3
Guard – 30 Podz
SG – Klay
SF – Wigs JK
PF – Dray
C – Trayce Dario
Let Loon start just Play 10 minutes a game.
But for me.
I will trade CP3 for picks
Then your closing lineup
30
KLAY
WIGGS
JK
DRAY
I hope JK doesn't become another Poole! He can be a real star if he continues to improve his game as he is doing lately with his smarter plays and quicker decisions.
u can play em both wiggs nd jk if theyre playing well wtf kerr
Jk is about to be RFA ? Dont alienate him and made him an scapegoat and running him out of town , imagine this 20 years young man leaving and later becoming something similar to kawhai, that would sting for at least a decade ,..
obv the stats dont back up they’re a good duo because wiggs has been ass all szn until here n there
I think keer is holding JK’s development..
Coach Kerr mark my word you let play Wiggs first unit 100% warriors going to loose absolutely! Ur starting lineup u need one more changes to match the rhythm of young guys plus Curry and Klay change looney with TJD or Dario!!!! You are competing all mostly new guys with athletic this nba so u need to change! Coach Kerr you better give new guys more minutes so they can have the experience with Klay and Curry and sharpen their skills and get used to it! Otherwise less you play those young guy’s chances warriors not going to make it in play off with the old crews that is for sure!!!!!
Klay was having a horrible game. Should or sat him and played JK IN THE FORTH. !!!
You want Steph to benefit but not another player? Hypocritical much? Jokic gets one game in his favor, and people lose their mind. Where was the outrage when Giannis made 24 FT's a couple of weeks ago? Embiid with 19. Denver lives in the paint, and drives the lane. Also, Jokic has the most amount of touches in the league, averaging 100+ per game. Tell me how his free throw numbers are so low considering? It's not like he takes all these 3's 25 feet from the basket. Kerr and fellow fans can't be pissed when Klay and Steph didn't show up for the game. There were bigger problems than free throws! Try defense on Jamal's 28 points, or defense in general. I did the research. Steph's career game FT average is 4.0-4.4. Jokic's are 3.8- 4.6. So yeah… Pretty lame argument if you fact check. Steph once had 19 free throws in a game, and Kerr didn't pitch a fit then. Kerr and fellow fans needs to stop deflecting, and take the L.
I have zero hope for Kerr choosing starters fairly, and i feel he will be gone when season ends
Can we bench Kerr?
Can you play Loon and TJD together
The big guys in the league get all the touch fouls, La BRON, Jogic & on & on!!!! We need Payton & Green & we will be whole. 👍🙏👊😎
Here's a thought quit using Chris Paul so freaking much. Walks the ball up the court slow…. eating up the clock then stands there dribbling more clock away then gives it up to Dario and ONLY Dario. This happens over and over and over. I want to scream, oh I do! That is NOT Warrior's basketball. Make it STOP!!!!!!!!!
Draymond this guy hurring this team more than helping … We need to go on a winning streak before this guy returns …
Kerr's rotations have not tried wiggins and kuminga at the same time..Do it!