Warriors need growth for Kerr’s Steph-Draymond plan to succeed appeared originally on NBC Sports Bay Area
Steve Kerr entered this season with a plan designed solely for Stephen Curry and Draymond Green, the oldest men on the Warriors’ roster. The coach saw an opportunity to lean into his agenda Saturday night in San Antonio.
When the Warriors blew a 17-point lead over the Spurs in the final two minutes of the third quarter, Curry and Green watched from the bench. Kerr hoped to keep them there.
That’s his plan. If the Warriors play back-to-back nights like they did in San Antonio, Curry and Green would either play one of the games or see their minutes reduced. An 81-64 lead over the rebuilding Spurs played into Kerr’s plan.
Until the Spurs took him down. With the bench disappearing and the Spurs closing within four with 8:06 left, Kerr was forced to call on Curry and Green for the final eight minutes.
Their rescue efforts were no match for a furious Spurs. The Warriors scored 13 points over the final 13:55, San Antonio responded with 40, and Golden State headed to the airport with a 104-94 defeat.
“Disappointing loss because we were in control of the game midway through the third and felt like we were going to break it,” Kerr told reporters at the Frost Bank Center. “But we didn’t.
That 33-13 run in the fourth told quite the story. The fourth-ranked Warriors shot 21.1 percent from the field, including 20 percent from beyond the arc. They committed four turnovers, of which San Antonio scored seven points.
The Spurs, who were held to 41.9 percent shooting, including 25.7 percent from deep, through three quarters, recovered to 52.2/33.3 percent in the fourth. They outrebounded the Warriors 14-11 and committed only two turnovers.
Star center Victor Wembanyama dominated, scoring 12 points, five assists and two blocks in 11 minutes.
“The way the third quarter ended was killer,” Kerr said. “We had a 15-point lead and we had the ball for 35 seconds [remaining]so we get 2 for 1 and hopefully go up 17 going into the fourth. And then we get a turnover and they score five straight goals, so it’s a 10-point game going into the fourth. That was a key moment and I thought they deserved it, Spurs, to finish the quarter like they did and then dominate the fourth.”
Curry, who played 33 minutes last night in a 112-108 win over the Pelicans in New Orleans, had an absolutely memorable night: 14 points, 5-of-16 shooting from the field, including 3-of-10 from deep. He played 24 minutes through three quarters, and his eight in the fourth were paltry: six points, six field goal attempts, two rebounds, three turnovers and a significant minus-14.
Curry, listed as “probable” on the injury report with left knee bursitis, was productive enough to post a plus-18 through three quarters.
Green, who played 30 minutes on Friday night, was no better. The fourth quarter was a disaster. He went 1-of-2 from the line, grabbed two rebounds, had one assist and committed three fouls in seven minutes. He was minus 12 for the quarter.
Even though Green was scoreless through the first three quarters, he managed to be a plus-12 through the first 20 minutes.
Neither of the Golden State’s decorated vets had much to offer.
“I’m sure everyone does. [tired]” said Andrew Wiggins, who scored a team-high 20 points. “If not mentally, then physically. If not physically, then mentally. One or the other.
“But that’s the NBA. That’s basketball.”
It was Golden State’s first back-to-back road set of the 2024-25 NBA season. The next one will be on the 9th-10th. January in Detroit and Indiana, in the second half there will be three more. It’s time to make the necessary adjustments.
“We’re still figuring things out,” Wiggins said. “Today would be a perfect example, especially as we execute, we get what we want, when we want it. But then they made it difficult for us.”
Golden State’s bench without Jonathan Kuminga (illness) in San Antonio was a strong point. It was mostly played shaping up through three quarters before drying up late on.
That and the Spurs’ late energy forced Kerr to deviate from his plan for Curry and Green. It’s still appropriate and will remain valid, but this night showed that the team’s glory must continue to grow.
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