SAN FRANCISCO — The Golden State Warriors entered Monday night with more questions than answers. A herculean effort from Steph Curry provided momentary relief, but concerns remain after the 116-113 victory.
“We did enough to get it done, but we’re flying by the seat of our pants,” Steve Kerr said after the game.
That’s the way it felt inside Chase Center for the first three quarters. The starters created a lead and the second unit saw it slip away. The theme of the first 10 games persists.
Before the game, Kerr referenced a lack of definition for rotational players outside the starters. The starting five were a +73 while the bench was a -58, hardly a confidence booster. It was the reason Golden State threw out its rotation approach from the first half. They couldn’t afford another all-too-familiar slumping stretch. From the 3:50 mark in the first quarter to the 6:31 mark of the second quarter, the Warriors were outscored 33-10.
Jonathan Kuminga was a focal point off the bench with James Wiseman receiving his first DNP of the season. Across nine minutes, Kuminga looked a step slow, even when playing as the de facto big among Golden State’s small-ball lineups. Using the 20-year-old at the 4 or 5 appeared intentional, but only produced one display of athletic brilliance.
Kerr made a point to explain, “JK will be out there next game,” but he did not see the floor in the second half. Kuminga could get more opportunities in the late first and early second quarter, but beyond will need to earn any second-half chances.
Jordan Poole was the other bench brain-teaser, only taking four shots across 22 minutes. Poole did help spur a 7-0 run to start the second half after taking over in Kevon Looney’s stead but was passive most of the evening. Postgame, Curry explained his conversations with Poole this season center around letting the game come to him, perhaps a little too much so tonight. Poole took his fewest shots in a game since Jan. 31, 2021. Coincidentally, that was a few weeks after Klay Thompson returned from injury. Poole’s aggression (or lack thereof) is a delicate balance, but something to be monitored moving forward.
Anthony Lamb and Ty Jerome played more minutes than either Kuminga or Moses Moody but struggled to contribute. While Lamb grabbed a couple of offensive rebounds, Jerome was a game-worst -22. A tough night for the two-way players. Interestingly, Moody was last off the bench, but looked the most comfortable of any second-unit member. Moody along with Poole saw the most action off the bench in the final 24 minutes.
Kerr also emphasized that tonight’s second-half approach was an exception, not the rule.
“We felt comfortable chasing this one,” he said. “But, it’s not sustainable.”
Golden State cannot rely on supernova performances from Curry, but even more on the number of minutes. Curry and Thompson both played 38 minutes, while Draymond Green notched 36. All are season-highs. Quietly, Andrew Wiggins played 40 minutes. Golden State needed all of it.
Kerr’s rotations on a night-to-night basis will tighten, unlike the 11- or 12-man cast we saw to open the season’s first few games. That is a luxury the Warriors will not have until they pile up some wins. If we have learned anything so far, wins are not a given. Tough stretches like tonight have created a thin margin for error.
“There’s no secret that we have roller coaster rides in the middle of games,” Curry said after the game.
The bench is a big part of that. Hopefully, a win will calm some of those concerns and force players to operate with hunger instead of hesitation.
