After returning to action on Saturday following his Wednesday absence due to tendinitis in his knees, star guard Stephen Curry explained that he and the Warriors are trying to stay ahead of his knee soreness to ensure that it doesn’t become an ongoing issue, writes Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN.
“(It) has the potential (to be) like a nagging type thing if you don’t take care of it,” Curry said. “I’m not worried about it, not concerned about it at all. It’s just the deeper you get into your career, the more things pop up and you just got to figure it out. … Honestly, I was happy to get through this one playing 30 (minutes) and not feeling it go the other way. Feeling like I was pretty strong. I got stronger as the game went on, and (my knees) responded well.”
As Youngmisuk writes, Warriors VP of player health and performance Rick Celebrini has a plan in place to manage the issue, according to Curry, who said it’s possible that could mean sitting “a back-to-back here or there.”
“He’s 36,” Warriors head coach Steve Kerr said. “This is all part of getting older and managing his minutes, his body, and Rick and his staff are the best in the world at what they do, and we’re working together every day on this stuff. So we’ll figure it out.”
Here’s more on the Warriors:
- Following a 12-3 start this fall, Golden State lost a fourth consecutive game in Phoenix on Saturday, leading to more questions about whether the team ought to continue using 12 or 13 players on a regular basis. Curry was asked directly whether the Warriors need to tighten up their rotation a little more, as Anthony Slater of The Athletic relays. “Do we need to shorten it?” Curry said. “We probably need to be more predictable on a night-to-night basis so guys can get a little bit of a rhythm. Is that shortening it one or two guys? Maybe.”
- Slater suggests that the Warriors’ super-sized rotation and inconsistent usage of certain players has “fairly clearly impacted” fourth-year guard Moses Moody and forward Jonathan Kuminga. Moody logged a season-low three minutes in Saturday’s loss, while Kuminga missed his first eight shots of the game before going 4-on-4 down the stretch as part of a small-ball lineup. Slater wonders if the Warriors may try to get Kuminga more minutes without a true center on the court in order to help get him going. “Can we get him more minutes with Steph and Draymond (Green)?” Kerr said of Kuminga. “He’s better with those guys. Most guys are. We have a lot of things to think about.”
- With Kerr acknowledging that a shortened rotation is a possibility he’ll consider, Slater explores what that might look like, suggesting that Lindy Waters – who came off the bench on Saturday after starting seven consecutive games – and Trayce Jackson-Davis – whose 111.9 defensive rating is the worst among Warriors regulars – are among the candidates to lose playing time. Jackson-Davis has started 18 of 19 games so far, but Kevon Looney opened the second half with the starters vs. the Suns and is a candidate for a promotion to the starting five this week, Kerr hinted on Saturday.
StREngTh! iN! nUMbErS!
It’s the beginning of the season. Only an idiot would say things are over.
Things definitely aren’t over. That happens when they lose in the first round.
It worked until Melton got hurt! They need to replace Melton with Dennis Schroder. Kerr is the reason why they lose, its not the players its the terrible rotations with 2Way guys in them when Moody is right there! Stop sitting Curry when we are losing in the 2nd half!!
I agreed until you said Kerr lol … c’mon, blaming Kerr is such low hanging fruit.
They need a someone like what KD has (Booker) or Lebron (AD).
Can’t blame Moody. This is all 100% on Podz, GP2, Spencer and Lindy getting big minutes instead of DNPs. If they play Moody 35 MPG they never lose again.
Give Podz 5-10 mins
Give GP2 0 mins unless blowout
Give Waters 0 mins unless blowout
Delete Spencer off the roster (the Suns targeted and isolated him and destroyed us the second he stepped on the court, he was playing lacrosse 5 mins ago, his defense is utterly useless, way worse than Moodys is this year, his best bet is to go to Europe to get regular minutes to develop his game, not doing that on a freaking playoff NBA team).
Please watch the games. Moody played an awful three minutes last night, Kuminga was terrible throughout the entire game until the last few minutes when the game was out of hand. How can you blame Kerr when these guys have been unplayable. What’s really showing is the Warriors inability to draft well, or develop players well
The guy bas no means to watch them live and will only make his comments based on box score numbers and no eye test whatsoever. Guy lives in the basement of his moms moms house.
Start Looney
Or trade Melton and a pick for a C
Can someone tell me how Post and Beekman are doing in the G league.
John Butler and some young PG’s who can shoot should be looked at
Are you sold on Beekman and Post ?
Beekman looked good the other night in G league. Post been hurt so he has not been playing very much. A center that sets screens is much needed. Curry is being double teamed every game.
So which C? Since it’s so easy to make a trade this early.
Steven Adams, Drummond, Walker Kessler, Kelly Olynyk, Nikola Vucevic, Jonas Val, Miles Turner etc etc etc etc etc.
Melton’s contract or Payton’s plus picks if needed
Or play Post and start Looney. Sign young V
Butler can’t crack the Wizard’s lineup. Might not be much to look at.
I thought Washington would have been a good fit for him
Watters is the first one that needs to go to the bench. His offense went way down since playing a lot of minutes. Kuminga should be in the starting 5. Kuminga will get more open looks to the basket with Curry on the floor. start guarding the 3 point line. Too many double teaming Durant last night. It left the 3 pt line uncovered and they were almost all practice 3 pt shots.
Waters, Spencer and GP2 need to be DNPing every game for the next 10 games.
I dont understand playing GP2 and Podz together, especially with Steph. There is zero size and due to GP2 defensive regression, no solid defense being played here. Steph is the only one out there who should be getting carried defensively in any rotation, he should be the worst defender out there, when he is, we cook. We do that by playing this rotation for 30-35 minutes TOGETHER not split up: Curry, Moody, Wiggins, Kuminga, Green. That lineup will get us the lead and keep it. If a big starts cooking us then replace JK or Moody with Looney. Kerr is using too many rotations and the bad ones are the ones who lose us 20 point leads…
when Wiggins comes off the floor after 6 minutes replace him with GP2 for defense.
How about doing what was proven to work in 2nd half of last season, when we had 2nd best record in league? USING OUR BEST PLAYERS IN CONSISTENT ROTATIONS OF A NORMAL LENGTH. Those proven, best performing rotations from 2023-24 are still available.
Kerr turned last season starting Jan 28 with these:
– JK to starter, played > 26 mpg, scored > 21 ppg
– TJD replaced Looney as starter, played > 24 mpg
– Podz playing > 30 mpg
– Klay come off bench
– We were helped by injuries to GP2 and CP3.
Obvious advice for Kerr for 2024-25:
– Stay the course you set successfully last year.
– Melton is gone, what’s left is exactly last year’s team
– Use Buddy as a replacement for Klay.
– Coach the 4 young players the same way as last year, they will flounder without consistent, predictable mins
– 9-10 man rotation; no Waters, Spencer or Payton
You pretty much nailed it Aristotle…as usual. But Payton needs to play.
Claude, I am ways pulling for GP2, but we have struggled to integrate him lately. Offensively, he’s shooting 17% from deep, and opponents have stopped defending him out there, choosing to double Hield and Steph.
Lately, Kerr is using GP2 as a 4 alongside Draymond (TJD comes out, GP2 goes in), which makes us too small defensively, and, also, moves GP2 away from the perimeter, where he causes chaos. It’s felt to me like Kerr is forced to put him in the wrong role to get him PT.
L
Dont make Babey J cry more. Moody needs more minutes. Moody is Him.
-Babey J 2024
Warriors finished 27-12 in 2023-24 with normal lineup.
Why no Moody??? He is a solid player who is’t afraid to mix it up and can shoot 3’s….sit Podz more….he is too much out of control.
He’s not a starter … def a 6-8 player
So az, if you think this way after watching the game last night then please just don’t attempt to make sense…it ain’t working. Podz last night LED Gsw in rebounding. Had 4 assists (2nd on team) one steal and one block, one foul and ONE TURNOVER and led gsw in minutes. Made both free throws and 50% of his 3’s. Again led in minutes and had ONE TURNOVER and ONE FOUL. “too much out of control” you. And you say Moody is better and several here seem to agree with you. The basketball ignorance on these posts amazes me.
@Claude It always bugs why they trash Podziemski and praise Moody. If you compare Moody’s and Podz stats, Podz is the better player. Sure, he is struggling a bit with his shot. But, he’s had a lot heavier load placed on him. He’ll come around.
How is Podz out of control?
He is out of control because he is “taking minutes” from their baby boy Moody
Warriors are a legit 50+ win team this year. But they do have to make some tough choices going forward. No more 13-14 rotation. They need to also make a decision on Moody and Kuminga the sooner the better. It’a their frekin 4th year. TRADE them NOW if you dont believe in them. It’s very simple. Getting sick and tired of the way they are playing Kuminga. Yes, it’s his fault. He hasnt played the best. They dont like the way he plays, etc. Then trade him! What are you waiting for? I do not believe they offered him 5 yr $150m contract, not evem close. They are playing him like 4 yr $80m player at best. Curry and Dray need to win now and the next couple yrs and Kerr is superb with low pay veterans. So pull the trigger and let’s move on. You failed with Wiseman, Kuminga, Moody, Baldwin, Rollins, and on and on…. ALL the draft picks. Do it NOW!
Why would you trade Moody and Kuminga now when you could get more for them in the off season? They didn’t fail with Wiseman. He is developing like every big man before him.
the draft picks that failed were all from BM time as GM. the trade i would do oif I was the DM is trade Anderson for DiVincenzo. Works for both teams. T-wolves wanted to sign Anderson but didn’t have the money. Use Melton’s 6.5 to make up the difference.
DiVincenzo would be a GREAT get, I’d love to see it, but, at least for now, it’ll take way more than Anderson (who they’d love back) and an expiring contract.
DiVincenzo was an important part of the Towns deal, and he gives Wolves badly needed outside shooting.
Wolves are in a bad state right now, worth keeping an eye on…
Throw in Watters in the deal. that would give them a 3 pt shooter.
It’s too early in the season to go to a shortened lineup
Michol, you raise 2 hugely important points worth more discussion.
1) With respect to the offer to JK and the $13M/yr deal to Moody, it’s reasonable to argue that there is a lack of alignment between Kerr and the front-office/ownership. As in, the front-office/ownership is committing to these young players to a degree that Kerr disagrees with. The evidence: as you state, no team offers young players huge extensions knowing that the coach will play them so little. (BTW, Moody’s $13M/yr contract exceeds Hield’s, Melton’s, and GP2’s. But he plays significantly less than Lindy Waters, who has the same years of experience as Moody, and gets paid $2.4M.)
Kerr’s and the ownership’s interests are NOT aligned in the sense that Kerr is strictly focused on winning this season and next, while ownership, in addition to wanting to win now, also cannot field a horrible roster when Steph is gone in 30 months. Ownership wants Podz, JK, Moody, and TJD to be developed and retained because if the team sucks from 2027-2030, revenues fall by $500M/yr. It’s that simple. But Kerr is, understandably, not concerned beyond the end of his contract, in 18 months.
We can say with certainty that GSW offered Kuminga because both MDJ and, more importantly, Lacob, have said publicly that they offered JK a long-term deal of the same size as the other players in the league that signed extensions (although I never heard a specific dollar figure). The generous contract offers to JK and Moody are consistent with the broader position Lacob and MDJr have taken publicly: Podz, JK, TJD, and Moody are a foundation for the post-Steph era.
We have also heard MDJr and Lacob say publicly that JK proved he deserved the huge offer because he played so well last year when given the chance. Kerr has been careful to avoid comment on JK’s financial future. Similarly, we have heard MDJr and Lacob say this summer that they were expecting all 4 young players to have bigger roles this season than the last. But Kerr has given all 4 of them lesser roles than last year.
2) Although responsibility for sub-par play ultimately rests with Podz, JK, and Moody, don’t under-estimate the negative effect on young players of unpredictable minutes and diminished roles — especially when their current situation falls way short of expectations for them set publicly by the team entering the season.
We’ve had this problem for several years now, and I don’t believe it’ll change.
It’s frustrating. We all know Kerr is a great and 4 titles but what happened to our 4 #1 draft picks(our future assets)? What do we have to show for those aasets? Why did we draft these guys if you are not going to develop them? Kerr was part of the brain that drafted Wiseman and Kuminga.
Kuminga is no longer a rookie or a 2nd yeat player, but Kerr is treating him that way. No respect whatsoever. They have terrible love hate relationship. Kerr is being very tough love with Kuminga that he cant even do to his own kids. Why cant Kuminga have 3-5 consecutive games shooting 4 for 20? He’s so timid on the floor, so afraid of failing and haa no confidence. He’s always looking over his ahoulder. And why did they even start him to start the year if they are going to change after 2 games?? Whatever it is, Kuminga is not developing in our system. It’s unfortunate. Donte developed, Ty Jerome, Lamb, etc etc … all these guys who are not playing for Warriors now. What was the point of developing those guys at the expense of out high picks? It’s fruatrating because Warriors have NOTHING to show for our great assets. We failed our picks, our young players, and our future.
So basically you are right. Kuminga’s future with Warriors is over and so is Moody. They pulled the trigger with Wiseman and they probably will with Kuminga very soon especially if Warriors keep winning.
Michol, you’ve nailed the failures in developing young players and the current dysfunction. And, it looks bleak for JK & Moody.
But I’m still optimistic. Kerr is also at a coaching crossroads. We’ve lost 4 straight, the schedule is about to get much tougher, and the improved defense has evaporated. In the last 24 hours, the 3 team leaders (Steph, Draymond, and Looney) have expressed publicly a desire to shorten the rotation and use more consistent lineups. The 13-man experiment looks dead.
In mid-January of last season we’d fallen to 5 games under .500, and the criticism of Klay’s role as a starter was deafening. Kerr finally gave in, and made several significant personnel changes, resulting in a 27-12 record for the duration. Any similar turnaround this season has to involve a restored faith in Kuminga, Podz, and Moody.