The Golden State Warriors went from toasting on the streets and celebrating their return to the game to questions about whether a trade was necessary.
How did you get here so quickly?
Tuesday's loss to the Nuggets offers some secret insight. The Warriors were without Draymond Green and lost due to Denver's big upset. On the surface, this means a drop in quality for a team that is good at home, losing their second-best player.
However, after the Nuggets game, Kerr took the brunt of criticism against Brandin Podzemski when he was berating the referees for missing calling a timeout, even though Christian Braun did not. was directed at me.
“I love Brandin,” Kerr said after the game, after criticizing the sophomore's poor decision-making and costly turnovers. “He's a hell of a player. He's got a hellish future ahead of him. But I hope he watches this clip because he needs to hear this clip. He's smart. He's got to be tough and a good decision-maker. He's very capable. That's his next step.”
That alone won't shake the wall. That's just coaching.
But what hasn't been noted for an 11-3 team is how much the team will have to change in search of something Kerr can rely on.
First, Jonathan Kuminga went to the bench. And Lindy Waters III has accepted that he probably won't be the new Splash Brother despite a strong start to filming.
He moved Podzemski into the starter role, but it was erratic with both Curry and Green returning.
Kerr was praised when the Warriors were winning with a 12-man rotation. However, when the team started losing, Curry himself told reporters that the rotation needed to be more predictable.
Stephen Curry on 13-man rotation: 'Do we need to shorten it?' Maybe it needs to be more predictable from night to night so people can get into a bit of a rhythm. Will it be one or two people short? perhaps. ” pic.twitter.com/jgHik5vDMm
— Anthony Slater (@anthonyVslater) December 1, 2024
Curry's rotation was then changed again against the Nuggets, with Curry citing the need for a switch to find his rhythm.
So which one is it? Do we need more predictability or do we need to change things up?
The answer is that both things are related to the same thing. The Warriors don't know who they are.
They seem to know. There's still the same ball movement, the same Curry bounce, the same great Draymond defense. When Curry and Green are on the floor together, Golden State outscores opponents, winning by a combined 12.2 points per 100 possessions.
But there's a reason the Warriors considered trading Paul George and Lauri Markkanen this summer.
“If you're comfortable with the rotation, you wouldn't consider a big trade like that,” one league executive said this week. “They knew they needed an upgrade.”
ESPN insider Shams Charania confirmed Friday that the Warriors are still searching for a second star after Curry:
Thursday's win against the Rockets without Green and Curry shows just how good the team's bones are. The Warriors were monsters defensively, holding the Rockets to 21-of-77 shots from outside the restricted area.
If Golden State has an identity, it's its elite defense and Curry. With Curry 36 and Green 34, can they last all season? Late last season, there were signs that this combination was losing its edge.
I can't help but feel that the Warriors' pursuit of a third star is also an attempt to find a third forward. The “two timelines” approach failed, Jonathan Kuminga also improved over the years, and Podzemski had a great rookie season.
Kuminga is especially perfect. Despite doing the right thing and accepting a bench role this season, it's clear he's aiming to be a star player. Gary Payton II talked about how important attacking the basket is to him, as most of his game revolves north-south. But the Warriors are not a simple north-south team, neither under Kerr nor under Curry. Those are motion violations.
Kuminga's drives often stick out like a sore thumb despite his success. This team has slashers like Kuminga and Podzemski, but even compared to the 2022 title team, there aren't many high-IQ ball movers.
All of this creates the simplest question that front office executives across the league continue to ask.
“I don't think there's a magical way for them to branch out into the next era unless Giannis (Antetokounmpo) actually specifically requests a trade there,” one Western Conference executive said. “So they may have to decide whether they want to help Steph with another short-term contract or just accept him joining the team and hope for the best.”
