Steve Kerr’s decision to extend his rotation in their lopsided West semis Game 2 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves came as a shock to many.
At one point, Kerr fielded 14 different players in the first half — including 13 in the first 14 minutes of the game.
But the four-time champion coach defended the decision for his extended rotation, and it came down to a couple of considerations.
“Part of it was the fatigue from the recent travel and games, and part of it was figuring out how we can manage this series without Steph [Curry],” Kerr revealed in the post-game interview.
Curry missed his first full game of the series after exiting early in a 99-88 series opening win, due to a left hamstring strain.
Steph Curry went to the locker room after an apparent leg injury
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) May 7, 2025
[ALSO READ: Buddy Hield, Jimmy Butler lead Warriors vs Timberwolves in Game 1 despite Stephen Curry exit]
The two-time MVP will be evaluated in one week, which means he would miss the two upcoming contests in the Bay Area as Golden State aims to defend home court.
However, the Warriors did give a target return date for Curry which left his status for the series – or at worst for the rest of the playoffs if the team is still alive — in jeopardy.
Although his plan backfired, Kerr was optimistic on the performance of some of his players, particularly Jonathan Kuminga and Trayce Jackson-Davis.
Kuminga came off the bench to lead Golden State in scoring with 18 points on just 11 shots. He played 26 minutes — the most he logged in the playoffs since Game 4 of their opening-round showdown with the Houston Rockets.
JK is RIM ROCKIN' 💪
— Golden State Warriors (@warriors) May 9, 2025
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The high-flying Jackson-Davis, who clocked in a total of just 26 minutes this postseason entering the game, put up 15 points and grabbed six rebounds and made all of his six shots.
Jimmy with the lob
— Golden State Warriors (@warriors) May 9, 2025
Trayce with the DUNK
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“You could see that their athleticism was important. Those guys really performed well,” the 59-year-old bared. Kerr added of the two youngsters: “They’ve proven they can help us win.”
Still, there's more work to be done for the Warriors — who already played three games in the last five games — as Kerr pointed out what lies ahead for Golden State without Curry.
“You can always play through Jimmy [Butler]. He’s a great isolation player. It’s more about figuring out who to put around him and who’s going to play in Game 3,” the 2016 Coach of the Year admitted.
Jimmy getting into the defense for an and-??
— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) May 9, 2025
Warriors looking to bring it back in the second half on TNT!
“It’s not as simple as replacing Steph with one player. We need to figure out what the next formula is,” he continued.
