Kerr explains the minutes strategy for Steph in the Warriors’ loss to the Nets

Kerr explains minutes strategy for Steph in Warriors’ loss to Nets, originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

In the Warriors’ 128-120 loss to the Brooklyn Nets on Wednesday night, Steph Curry had a team-high 28 points in 29 minutes.

However, Golden State struggled mightily with Curry off the floor, especially during his regularly scheduled halftime break in the second half.

As usual, Curry went to the bench with 4:33 left in the third quarter and the Warriors up by nine. When he checked back in at 7:29 of the final frame, Brooklyn had taken the lead after a 25-11 run. Golden State couldn’t turn the momentum around even when Curry returned to the floor.

After the game, Warriors coach Steve Kerr was asked about Curry’s playing time; the 36-year-old is averaging less than 30 minutes per game this season.

“Normally we register him for 32 [minutes]”, and we like to keep it around that number,” Kerr told reporters at Chase Center. ‘We were able to rest him well in the first half because the second unit played very well.

“I don’t like to have him running the whole fourth quarter and I like to have him close with some energy, and that means if we can give him those last eight minutes, I’m generally feeling pretty good about that.” at feel. But at that point Brooklyn was rolling, and we couldn’t slow them down.”

After all, that’s the same strategy Kerr has used with Curry for the better part of the last decade, which has obviously worked quite well.

And despite the Warriors’ current problems shutting down opponents in the second half, Kerr doesn’t appear to be planning any significant changes to Curry’s substitution pattern.

However, if this trend continues, Kerr may adjust his rotations as he did during Golden State’s 2021-2022 NBA title-winning season.

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