It was a difficult night for the Warriors. With Jimmy Butler missing his first game since the trade due to back spasms, the onus to carry the team to victory fell solely on Stephen Curry. Sure, it was not an impossible task for the Baby-Faced Assassin as he came off a historic 56-point performance in a win against the Magic. But as the Bay Area team hoped to continue their winning streak tonight against the Sixers, Steve Kerr understood Steph’s limitations.
Of course, Steph has been playing through multiple lingering injuries this season, including knee and ankle. And at his age, Kerr cannot overexert him, as it increases the risk of injury.
That’s why the head coach decided to bench Steph for a significant period in the first half tonight, followed by another short break in the second. When asked about it postgame, Kerr said, “Man, we got three in four nights. I can’t play him 40 minutes. I don’t really want to play him much more than 34, 35.”
Yes, Curry logged in 36 minutes and finished with solid 29 points and thirteen assists. Unfortunately, it was not enough to get his team the win as the Warriors lost the game by seven points. Kerr also revealed why Steph’s second half rest was shorter than the first, “He ended up around 36 tonight so shortened his rest in the second. Obviously, we were a little desperate, hanging in there and we had a shot so we went for it.”
So far this season, Steph is averaging only 32 minutes per game, which is understandable considering his age and how involved he is in Kerr’s offense when he is on the floor. Moreover, the head coach assured that Curry will get some much-needed rest tomorrow and will be “ready to go” against the Hornets on Monday. But the Warriors’ loss tonight without Jimmy raised another major concern for Kerr.
Steve Kerr reveals Warriors’ focus amid roster dilemma, does not want to “talk about the finals”
Well, Curry’s lengthy benching and Jimmy’s absence from tonight’s Sixers clash left one media veteran wondering about the team’s supporting cast. When Kerr was asked if the team’s current bench would be enough in high-stakes games like the Finals, the head coach seemed rather agitated by the question, “We’re gonna ask that again? Keep doing this?”
However, he addressed the situation around the roster eventually, “We would like to make the playoffs. The playoffs! You’re talking about the Finals? We just want to make the playoffs. Let’s not talk about the Finals.” Yes, Kerr made it clear that the team’s primary focus is solely on booking a playoff spot and he does not want to get ahead of himself by discussing the potential of this roster in the NBA Finals.
While reaching the Finals is the ultimate goal, it’s a far-fetched dream at the moment because the Warriors are currently ranked seventh in the West. However, they might not have to worry about how their bench will perform if they get there. That’s because Kerr’s bench is averaging the second most points in the league this season, at 45 per game. Only behind the Grizzlies. Even tonight, the Warriors’ bench combined for an impressive 46 points. So, they are looking solid at least for now, and Kerr will expect the same from them come playoff time.
