Stephen Curry gets real about Steve Kerr’s 13-man rotation as losing streak continues

Stephen Curry opened up about head coach Steve Kerr's 13-man rotation tactic as the Warriors lost 113-105 against the Suns.

Stephen Curry gets real about Steve Kerr’s 13-man rotation as losing streak continues

Stephen Curry opens up about coach Steve Kerr's squad rotation

The Golden State Warriors continued their recent struggles with a fourth straight loss, falling to the Phoenix Suns 113-105 on Friday night. Despite the Suns missing key players Bradley Beal and Jusuf Nurkic, the Warriors couldn’t capitalize, largely due to a disjointed first half.

Following the game, Warriors star Stephen Curry shared his thoughts on coach Steve Kerr‘s 13-man roster rotation. Kerr’s rotation saw all 13 active players hit the floor in the first half, disrupting any rhythm for the team.

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Similar to his rapid substitution pattern in the recently concluded Paris Olympics, Kerr cycled between his lineups at a moment’s notice. However, with severely less star talent on the Warriors roster than Team USA, Curry feels that Kerr’s rotation may need some changes.

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Do we need to shorten (the rotation)? 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.”We are a unique team; it’s a unique situation… I don’t think it’s ever been done in the league. But it’s an 82-game schedule. You got to figure out what adjustments you need to make.

Stephen Curry said

The frequent lineup changes left the Warriors unable to settle into a flow offensively or defensively. While they have been part of the Dubs’ new roster evolution, the lack of rhythm, especially for their young, streaky stars, has caused confidence within the roster to fluctuate.

Kerr’s decision to spread minutes across the roster is primarily aimed at conserving the aging veterans on the team while also developing the younger players sprinkled throughout the roster. However, the lack of continuity does hurt the team and Curry himself, who had a lackluster shooting night, going 8-21 from the field.

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Steve Kerr reveals upcoming lineup changes for Dubs’ young guns

During their four-game losing streak, the Warriors’ offense often appeared stagnant. On Saturday night, the team also struggled to keep up with Phoenix’s energy. In his post-game press conference, Steve Kerr acknowledged the struggles of some of the younger players on the team, revealing a new plan to integrate his young stars into better lineups, especially Jonathan Kuminga.

(Kuminga) is one of the guys who we have to look at in terms of who he is playing with, and can we get him more minutes with Steph and Draymond? He is better with those guys.

Steve Kerr noted postgame

Kuminga managed 12 points, two rebounds, and one assist in 19 minutes but struggled for most of the game before finding some rhythm late in the game. This strategy aligns with Kerr’s broader focus on lineup optimization.

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Anthony Slater of The Athletic reported that the Warriors are also exploring increased opportunities for Brandin Podziemski with the starting group and adjustments in Kevon Looney’s second-half role for defensive coverage. They face the Denver Nuggets next, a tough test against reigning MVP Nikola Jokic.