Steve Kerr says Steph Curry is the ‘ultimate collaborator’: "The personal sacrifices he makes are genuine and always about winning"

Steph Curry of the Golden State Warriors talks with coach Steve Kerr.

The Golden State Warriors have struggled lately, and a lot of the blame is falling on coach Steve Kerr for changing Steph Curry's rotation pattern and usage. Many have suggested Curry's recent historic shooting slump is caused by the new substitution pattern. That, in turn, is hampering his ability to get into a rhythm.

However, to quash all debate and speculation, Kerr appeared on the NBC Sports Bay Area podcast "Dubs Talk." He said:

"For Steph, this year, most of the talk has been about the rotation, just with Klay's (Thompson) absence and then his return, just so many different combinations that we've had because of injuries and young players, all that stuff. His rotation pattern has not been that consistent.

"These discussions happen every year, and Steph is the ultimate collaborator and it's been a wild success. ... The reason this works is because Steph is one of the greatest people I've ever been around. The personal sacrifices he makes are genuine and always about winning"

Kerr applauded his star point guard's dedication and effort towards the team and how he is focused on nothing other than winning. Curry isn't used to being played like this, though, and it is quite apparent. He visibly gets frustrated when he is benched, and many don't understand why Kerr would sub for Curry when he's hot.

“Steph is the ultimate collaborator, and it's been a wild success. But no season is without issues and things that you have to deal with." - Kerr on Steph's usage and rotation pattern

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🎧 Dubs Talk with Steve Kerr » bit.ly/3HgGZlB https://t.co/uMK6VRoYeS

Curry's old rotation pattern was 12-6-12-6 for games. That is, a full 12 minutes of the first quarter and the final six minutes of the second quarter and then repeat the pattern in the second half.

His current rotations are anything but consistent and are, in fact, completely haywire at times. He plays the first five minutes of the first quarter and then sits in the middle of the period to return in the final two minutes of the quarter. Curry then begins the second quarter in the same fashion and then sits out again before closing the half in the final two minutes.

As one can imagine, it is hard to get into a rhythm when getting subbed off every few minutes. Curry gets hot in the first few minutes, and before he can develop a steady rhythm, he gets benched and eventually cools off.

However, to everyone's surprise, Curry has always spoken in support of Kerr and the team staff since the beginning of the season. He believes that getting into the habit of this new substitution pattern is the best course of action.

Grant Liffman of NBC Sports Bay Area spoke with Curry on the matter, and the two-time MVP said:

"This is the right rotation right now. It's perfect for what we're trying to do."

The Warriors are experimenting with different Steph Curry rotation patterns. He’s allowed it, but it’s pretty clear his eventual preference will be to return to what he’s always done. https://t.co/KZcFs3vxkm

Curry was on a path to winning his third MVP trophy before he started to slump from the field. He is shooting the lowest 3-point percentage of his career while averaging a mediocre 25.8 points per game. Curry is certainly better than 80% of the NBA when it comes to offense. But in terms of his own high standards, he has come up short.

We should see Curry in his old pattern when the playoffs arrive. Kerr and Curry are certain they're on the right path, so Dubs fans should hang tight and patiently wait for a long postseason.

Coach Steve Kerr says Steph Curry and Draymond Green collaborate with the coaching staff on everything

Coach Steve Kerr of the Golden State Warriors with Steph Curry and Draymond Green in practice [Source: Bay Area News Group]

Golden State coach Steve Kerr believes the right recipe for success is to discuss every detail of the team's mission and gameplan with his star players. Unlike other team sports, NBA basketball is run by star players who dictate major facets of the game. No championship team can be run without the consent of the franchise superstar, and they ultimately have the final say on most matters.

On "Dubs Talk," Kerr mentioned that Draymond Green and Steph Curry are actively involved in every major team matter.

"We are a collaboration," Kerr said. "Steph and the coaching staff, we collaborate on everything, Draymond as well. Those two guys in particular help coach the team, and that is how this works.

"You have to have a collaboration with your best players, and that includes what you're going to do as a team and it includes how you're gonna coach that particular person and what the details are."

Kerr reminded Warriors fans that he has been on several championship teams in his long and illustrious career and that he has seen this in every system. He gave two examples. The first was how Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen would run the show alongside coach Phil Jackson for the Chicago Bulls. The second example was Tim Duncan with coach Gregg Popovich for the San Antonio Spurs.

Despite their recent string of losses, the Warriors (42-16) are still second in the league standings and are ranked first in defensive rating. They have 23 games left, with the seventh-toughest schedule remaining. They take on the Portland Trail Blazers on Thursday in their first game back after the All-Star break.