SAN FRANCISCO — Before concluding his pregame news conference, Steve Kerr had something he wanted to share with the audience of reporters in the Bill King interview room. The Golden State Warriors coach smiled and pulled out his phone.
“I have something funny to read to you guys, if you will listen to me briefly,” he said.
In his 12th season leading the Warriors, Kerr thought he had heard it all when it comes to critiquing his lineup choices. Then he opened the fantasy football league he plays in with 11 buddies. The software determined the lineups he set each week cost him the most points in the league.
Coach Kerr had plenty of decisions to regret as his lineup decisions left him as the worst gameday coach.
“This is a time for me to take a long look in the mirror,” Kerr joked. “I have to reassess everything.”
The Warriors, on the other hand, appear to have found a winning combination. Not much self-reflection was required following their 137-103 romp over the Sacramento Kings on Friday. They secured their eighth win in their past 11 games, and the most pivotal moments came when Stephen Curry was on the bench.
Golden State is averaging 120 points over the 11-game stretch, which so happens to coincide with Kerr settling on a starting five. The Warriors used 14 starting lineups in 26 games before landing on the current group of Curry, Moses Moody, Draymond Green, Jimmy Butler and Quinten Post.
“I think we’re in a good groove with our rotation, and it helps to have the same lineups out there,” Kerr said before repeating a version of phrase he used after Wednesday’s 120-113 win over the Milwaukee Bucks. “It feels like the version of the team that we expected to have.”
Credit the consistency, but something else has helped unlock the Warriors’ substitution pattern.
The emergence of two veteran summer signings has allowed Kerr to winnow the rotation and create a second unit that can carry the load when Curry isn’t on the court.
With 19 points Friday after scoring 22 against the Bucks, De’Anthony Melton has strung together his best two games since returning from knee surgery Dec. 5. The 39-year-old Al Horford has benefitted from the Warriors’ schedule slowing down, shooting 45.2% (14-of-31) from 3 while playing in seven of nine games since Christmas.
“They’re setting a good tone when they get out there. They understand that we play through Jimmy,” Kerr said. “Melt does a great job, Al does a great job of getting him the ball, spacing the floor, but also being really aggressive on their own. They’re taking those shots, but they understand: Play through Jimmy first.”
The score was tied at 84 on Friday when Curry checked out with 3:02 to play in the third quarter. Butler took his place alongside Melton, Horford, Brandin Podziemski and Will Richard. The group went on a 13-0 run, and the Warriors led 97-84 by the time Curry checked back in to begin the fourth quarter.
“It’s nice,” Curry said of his perspective from the bench. He scored a game-high 27 — all before the late third-quarter substitution — and notched his second double-double of the season with 10 assists, including a trio of Green treys, but acknowledged, “the way ended the third quarter won the game, essentially.”
Between Richard, Melton and Podziemski, the Warriors have found less of a need for Buddy Hield and Pat Spencer in the backcourt. And with the addition of Horford down low, Kerr has been able to pick and choose how he deploys Trayce Jackson-Davis.
As combo guards, Melton and Podziemski are “both capable of playing on and off the ball,” Kerr said. “It’s helpful to have two guys like that taking the pressure off each other. Having both of them be able to handle, get the ball to Jimmy and create on their own a little bit, it’s a nice lineup.”
Gary Payton II (12 points, nine rebounds) and Gui Santos (plus-7 in 18 minutes) still found ways to make an impact Friday. Jonathan Kuminga was the only player who didn’t see the floor, sitting out for the 11th consecutive game as is expected until he is eligible to be traded on Thursday.
There’s reason to believe the Warriors still haven’t maximized the veterans on their bench.
Melton is still limited to 24 minutes per game, but Kerr said an increase is “on the horizon” while cautioning that the Warriors were “going to take this thing slowly.” And with eight straight games at Chase Center — none back-to-back — Kerr added, “this could be a great stretch for us and for Al.”
Asked what gave them confidence the recent success was sustainable, Kerr and Curry gave versions of the same answer.
“A lot of it has to do with Melton, Al … guys who weren’t as available, or not available at all, early in the year coming in,” Curry said. “Those two guys, the vets, are helping tremendously to connect certain lineups.”
“With Al and De’Anthony, I think those are the two key guys (in terms of) what kind of team we’re gonna be, who we are,” Kerr said. “Those guys are two-way playoff performers. It just feels like the addition of those two guys has changed quite a bit for us.”
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