Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr addressed his decision to sit Jonathan Kuminga during Friday night’s 127–120 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves at Chase Center. Kerr emphasized that the choice was situational and part of evaluating his roster under unique circumstances.
“Just right now, it’s where things are,” Kerr said regarding Kuminga’s second straight DNP. “You saw Gui come in there for, you know, six minutes and he lit up the crowd with his energy and the ball movement. That was maybe the best stretch of the game for our offense… It’s just where it is right now, but it can change very quickly.”
Kerr also explained the lineup adjustments with Pat Spencer and Stephen Curry on the floor together. “We wanted to see them together so we could have Steph off the ball a little bit, have Pat run pick and roll and see how they handled that,” he said. “Tonight was the night to do it with Pat coming off that stretch on the road, Draymond being out, and I like those two guys together.”
The coach discussed the role of De’Anthony Melton in the closing lineup. “I think Melt will be in our closing lineup quite a bit this year. He’s so good defensively, can play either guard spot, and is a great decision maker. We went with Moses and Melt tonight, but it could be very different next game. We just have to ride the hot hand and do whatever it takes to win.”
Kerr reflected on the team’s defensive lapses that contributed to the loss. “I thought our defense let us down tonight. We had several plays in transition where we lost sight of Naz Reid and a couple of their shooters. Transition defense wasn’t great, and then in the first part of the fourth quarter they went 20–5 on their run. That stretch hurt us.”
The coach noted the challenges posed by injuries and size disadvantages. “They’re a massive team, and obviously they’re without Anthony Edwards. Quinten and Trayce did a great job battling down there. We hung tough on the glass and played well enough to win, but had a long dry spell early in the fourth where we had open looks and didn’t knock them down. Injuries are a part of this thing, and our guys battled really well.”
Kerr also commented on Stephen Curry’s return. “He looked great, just the movement and flow. I asked him after the first eight-minute run in the first quarter, and he said, ‘I feel great.’ Thirty-two minutes was perfect for him tonight, short term and long term.”
The Warriors will aim to adjust rotations and offensive flow as they travel to Portland to face the Trail Blazers on Sunday
