Warriors use 2-way players over lottery picks
Wiseman sat out Monday, Kuminga winds up benched
SAN FRANCISCO >> Coach Steve Kerr knew the challenge facing the Warriors this season.
Kerr and his staff are tasked with developing future foundational talent alongside a dynastic trio of champions who reminded the league this summer they’re not done winning.
While some praised the Warriors for winning a title with three guys unable to legally purchase a beer at the beginning of the season, this season is the first time the dueling timelines are actually converging. With key players, like Gary Payton II and Otto Porter Jr., departing in free agency, the Warriors turned to upand-coming youngsters like Jonathan Kuminga and Moses Moody to fill those holes. They were also excited for the return of James Wiseman, the team’s highest draft pick in 25 years who missed all of last season with a knee injury and still remains a 7-foot question mark as to what the Warriors have in him.
It’s been a rough start for the defending champs. They’re 4-7, 12th in the Western Conference standings.
Golden State is dealing with an identity crisis it didn’t seem to expect. Scoring hasn’t been an issue. But after being among the best defensive units in the league last season, the Warriors are among the worst this season, allowing a league-leading 120.6 points per game. Even more concerning, Golden State has already surrendered 125-plus points after giving up that many just twice a season ago.
There are a few reasons for the Warriors’ defensive woes, but the bench’s inexperience has been at the top of that list. Golden State is winning the minutes superstar Stephen Curry is on the court but losing the ones he’s off.
As a result, the Warriors’ rotation remains fluid, and the team’s youngest players are dealing with uncertainty night in and night out. Kuminga has ridden the bench in three games. He earned a spot in the rotation after impressing last weekend against New Orleans when the majority of the starters sat out. But the 20-year-old was reminded how valuable those opportunities are Monday when he didn’t see the court in the second half of the Warriors’ win over the Kings after tallying five points and finishing minus-17 in nine minutes during the opening quarters.
Meanwhile, Wiseman, who had been one of the first players off the bench in previous games but has struggled with timing and finding his rhythm, didn’t play at all Monday. Moody, the most dependable of the team’s 21-and-under club early on this season, played only nine minutes, his shortest stint since opening night.
The margin of error is slim on a championshipcontending team. And after the Warriors stumbled through an 0-5 road trip, Kerr is seeking some stability as he tries to improve the team’s course. Young players are more likely to make mistakes and foul on defense. And with some of the team’s established players, like Jordan Poole and Klay Thompson, struggling with inconsistencies, the youngsters are walking on a tightrope even more.
Kerr has turned to twoway players, Ty Jerome and Anthony Lamb, in the last two games. Some questioned why the Warriors would play their two-way guys over the team’s developmental projects. Kerr said it came down to experience.
Jerome, 25, played three seasons at Virginia, and was a starter for the 2019 NCAA championship-winning squad before being drafted No. 24 overall. He’s played in 120 NBA games, including eight this season. Lamb, 24, played four seasons at the University of Vermont and a combined 72 games between the NBA and G League. Meanwhile, Moody spent only one season at Arkansas before entering the draft, Wiseman played only three games at Memphis and Kuminga played for the G League Ignite.
“The thought process is when you’re struggling and you don’t have a rhythm and you don’t have consistency, veteran players are going to be able to provide that more than young players are,” Kerr said. “And so Ty and Anthony are both relatively young but… they’ve learned a lot more, they’ve absorbed a lot more than our younger guys. And so they’re more capable of allowing different groups to click.”
Moody on Wednesday said it’s difficult to navigate inconsistent playing time.
“It’s not easy but at this point, I guess I do it,” he said. “It’s just controlling what I can control. I don’t have much control over when I’m playing… but when you get that opportunity, it’s important to be ready for it when it comes.”
The Warriors are trying to keep a “big picture” approach to developing their young guys while winning remains a top priority.
“While everyone wants instant gratification, it just doesn’t work that way,” Kerr said.
“As we get going, and our vets, Klay, Jordan, really start to get in a groove, I think it’ll be easier to find different combinations and blend in some of our young guys,” Kerr continued. “But for right now, it’s important that we try to establish some principles with our team and veteran guys are more likely to be able to do that.”