SAN ANTONIO — Steve Kerr knew it was time to make some dramatic changes to his lineup combinations as his Golden State Warriors struggle to find a consistent rhythm to start the season. He hinted at major changes before Wednesday’s game against the San Antonio Spurs, and he made it official with a new look starting lineup. Joining veteran stalwarts Stephen Curry, Draymond Green and Jimmy Butler are Moses Moody and rookie guard Will Richard.
The moves come a night after the Warriors got blown out by the defending NBA champion Oklahoma City Thunder and Green questioned whether the group had the same mentality as it did last year after Butler was acquired midway through the season.
In his pregame news conference, Kerr not only diffused the tension of Green calling out the group, he gave context to what Green’s main message was.
“No. 1, it’s Draymond,” Kerr said with a smile. “So, I respect the fact he always speaks his mind. He’s been in this league a long time. And he understands there’s a very, very fine line between winning and losing in this league. So, I agreed with him in that we aren’t right emotionally, spiritually. But I think what I would clarify, there’s not an individual player out there who is playing selfishly or who is purposefully doing anything that would hurt the team from winning.”
The issue for the 6-6 Warriors is that the good vibes they started the season with have disappeared quickly as the group seems to be going through the motions far too often. Kerr has searched for answers since the Warriors dropped two straight games to the Giannis Antetokounmpo-less Milwaukee Bucks and an injury-riddled Indiana Pacers squad. Wednesday’s decision with the lineup removes Jonathan Kuminga from the starting rotation after the 23-year-old has struggled following a solid two weeks to open the season.
As Kerr continued to answer the question about Green’s comments, it was clear that he knows there are a variety of early season issues he must fix.
“It’s that we’re not in sync,” Kerr continued. “And when you’re not in sync, (the) ball moves slightly slower, turn it over slightly more. A play here or there and all of a sudden you’re down, the energy wanes, and it feels like we’re not committed to winning. And it’s true, but it’s not anybody’s fault. There’s an energy, a vibe that every team has to feel and has to have. And I’ve been really lucky here in my 11 years, we’ve usually had that vibe. But there are always moments in the season where that vibe slips away, and you have to fight to get it back.”
Kerr said that involves watching more film, and pointing out different details of where guys need to be on the floor. He also pointed to himself in needing to do a better job getting everything together on the floor.
“So, that’s on me to balance things out,” Kerr said. “And get the right combinations that we know have worked in the past. So, all of those things factor in, but in the end, when you lose in the NBA, the vibe’s off, and that’s all Draymond was referring to.”
