Warriors Coach Steve Kerr Reveals Conversation with Draymond Green Before Pulling Starters
In a recent NBA playoff game, Golden State Warriors coach Steve Kerr made the decision to pull his starting five players in the third quarter, a move that has sparked interest among fans and analysts alike. According to an interview with 95.7 The Game’s "Willard and Dibs", as reported by NBC Sports Bay Area, Kerr revealed that he had a conversation with veteran forward Draymond Green before making the decision.
As the Warriors trailed the Houston Rockets 76-49 at halftime, Kerr posed a question to Green, which was essentially: "What do you think?" Green, understanding what Kerr meant, responded with "5 minutes." Kerr agreed, saying "I think that makes sense, too." This conversation would prove to be a turning point in the game, as Kerr pulled the starting five of Green, Steph Curry, Jimmy Butler, Brandin Podziemski, and Buddy Hield off the court just five minutes into the third quarter.
The decision to pull the starters was not taken lightly, with Kerr and assistant coach Terry Stotts debating the issue even before halftime. "We debated, do we send them out at all [for the second half], and we agreed it didn’t make sense to pull them out at that point altogether," Kerr explained. "Let’s give them a chance to make a little push, but we’re not messing around because Game 6 is 48 hours later, and at that point it becomes risk [versus] reward."
Kerr’s priority was to avoid risking injury to his starters, with Game 6 just two days away. The Warriors’ bench, however, showed resilience and determination, pulling within 11 points of the Rockets at one point in the fourth quarter. This surge forced Houston coach Ime Udoka to put his own starters back in the game with 7:59 remaining, cutting their rest for Game 6 short while the Warriors’ mainstays remained on the bench.
Kerr praised his bench for their aggressive play, saying "I thought that was important… And to play with that kind of aggression and to force some turnovers and to make them uncomfortable, because the first 30 minutes of that game were entirely too comfortable for Houston." The Warriors’ coach also revealed that it was "highly unlikely" that the starters would re-enter the game, as their minds had already turned to Game 6 and what they needed to do to close out the series.
According to NBC Sports Bay Area, Kerr’s experience has taught him to let the bench ride it out and see if they can get the job done. The Warriors ultimately lost the game 131-116, but the decision to pull the starters may have been a wise one, considering the team’s goals for the rest of the series. As Kerr said, "The obvious choice was to get them off the floor." With Game 6 looming, the Warriors will look to regroup and make adjustments to take control of the series.
The information for this article was sourced from an interview with 95.7 The Game’s "Willard and Dibs", as reported by NBC Sports Bay Area.
