"Those guys should be dying to be on the floor and flying around and playing with huge energy"- Steve Kerr blasts performance of bench after Sacramento Kings nearly upset Golden State Warriors
The Golden State Warriors narrowly defeated the Sacramento Kings 130-125 this past Sunday. The team was led by Stephen Curry’s 33 points. The team started the game strong and was ahead 89-71 at halftime. It was surprising that the game finished as close as it did. Coach Steve Kerr was not happy with how his team played against the Kings, particularly his reserves.
"Those guys should be dying to be on the floor and flying around and playing with huge energy" - Steve Kerr
The Kings are not considered a good basketball team and are currently 0-3 this season, so the defending champs were expected to perform better against them. The numbers show there was a drop off when the bench players came in the game. The lowest plus/minus for any player in the starting five was Andrew Wiggins +14.
In comparison, the highest plus/minus for anybody off the bench was -5 and went as low as -18. The Warriors will need their players off the bench to improve as this is a long season and they will be counted on to provide valuable minutes while the starters rest.
Coach Steve Kerr did have a little sympathy for his bench line-up but did acknowledge that they will need to learn how to overcome these obstacles.
“There was no juice, no life to that group and we're gonna have to find what we're looking for in terms of energy and leadership." - Kerr
"It's not entirely fair to them, put all those guys together (without starters) but it's a tough league. Sink or swim."
Kerr on his bench players: “You’ve got a group of reserves out there, those guys should be dying to be on the floor and flying around and playing with huge energy.”
There is Opportunity on the Warriors Bench
The Warriors are a team that will be in transition over the next few seasons. The bench players will have a lot of opportunities to become starters if they play well. Eventually Jordan Poole, who has just been rewarded with a 4-year $130 million contract, will move to the starting lineup and Klay Thompson may get moved. There will then be a chance for another bench player to come in and fill that scoring role.
Jonathan Kuminga and James Wiseman are both expected to grow this year and take the next steps in their careers. It's no secret that Draymond Green wants a max contract at the end of the season and it will make it easier for the team to part ways if these two players can step up.
Steph Curry, Draymond Green and Klay Thompson are all entering the back half of their careers. The team will need a second unit to play more minutes during the season to help preserve those stars for the playoffs. That could lead to those younger players getting a bigger contract extension from the Warriors or another team in free agency if they perform well.
The Warriors Saw a Familar Face
The Sacramento Kings are currently coached by former Warriors assistant Mike Brown. It was Brown’s first trip to Golden State since taking over the Kings. The coach was given his championship ring prior to the game. Brown filled in for Kerr during some playoff games last season when the coach had Covid-19. Brown also filled in for Kerr during a stretch of the 2017 season.
Brown served as associate head coach for the Warriors from 2016-2022. Kerr and Brown’s relationship goes back to when Kerr was a player with the San Antonio Spurs and Brown served as an assistant under Gregg Popovich.