The Golden State Warriors have been one of the best teams in the NBA this season, and it hasn’t been that close at all. With Stephen Curry on human torch mode, they’ve beaten nearly every team they’ve faced.
It’s not a secret that, even though they boast a deep bench and plenty of shooters and solid defenders, the Warriors will only go as far as their best player can take them. That’s not a diss towards the rest of the team, it’s just a fact.
That’s why coach Steve Kerr knows that, unlike what happened last season when they didn’t make the playoffs, he needs to have the two-time MVP out there on the court for as many minutes as he can handle.
Warriors News: Steve Kerr Knows He Needs To Have Steph Curry On The Court
“I didn’t want to chase wins by playing Steph 40 mins a night,” Kerr said on 95.7 The Game. “We were not great last year. We were in development mode. I was not going to burn Steph out in a year like that. This is a totally different year. We have a championship contender.”
Kerr Lauds Curry’s Defense
Kerr also lauded Curry’s defensive prowess and how the media and the fans need to give him more credit in that regard:
“He’s been great defensively all year, and I hope people are recognizing it,” Kerr told the media, per NBC Sports. “Everyone obviously locks in on his offensive brilliance, which they should, but he had six steals [Sunday]. Eight deflections. He’s all over the place. For whatever reason, he has a reputation of being a poor defender. I don’t see that at all. I think he’s a really good defender and he’s been great defensively.”
The Warriors have championshipDNA and will only get better once James Wiseman and Klay Thompson are back. Even so, Stephen Curry is the heart and soul of the team, and he’s playing like a man on a mission.
