SACRAMENTO — The Warriors are 3-0 and, in coach Steve Kerr’s opinion, just turned in their most complete game of the young season. They’ve won all three of their games in different ways, as Stephen Curry noted following Sunday’s win.
So, what was it in the 119-107 victory over the Kings that caught Kerr’s attention?
Let’s get into it.
Playing without Steph
Curry was quiet for much of the fourth quarter while the Warriors protected their lead; his only contributions to the box score during the final period were four missed shots and a lone rebound. That Golden State held on while its star took a backseat stood in contrast to the second quarter, when the Warriors fell into their largest deficit of the game with Curry on the bench.
The Warriors’ 31 bench points were shy of the 55 their reserves posted in a season-opening win over the Lakers, but Kerr lavished praise on Juan Toscano-Anderson, Damion Lee, Otto Porter Jr. and Gary Payton II afterward.
“It’s really just fun to see the depth of our team,” Kerr said. “Juan came in and gave us huge minutes. We needed those. Damion Lee kept us afloat in the first half. … The contributions from Gary and Otto, in particular, off the bench, made such a huge difference.”
Lee played all but the final 27 seconds of the second quarter, splitting time in the backcourt with Curry and Jordan Poole, and scored nine of Golden State’s 31 points in the quarter. Payton was the Warriors’ first man off the bench, a role usually filled by Andre Iguodala that may be hard to relinquish after Payton’s play Sunday.
Whereas Curry exited for his first break trailing by 2 and returned to an eight-point hole, when he came back from his second rest, Golden State had turned a two-point advantage into six — and didn’t give up the lead again.
Jordan Poole’s best game
When the Warriors needed to ice the game in the fourth quarter, it was Jordan Poole and Andrew Wiggins who stepped up. Wiggins led the way with nine points in the quarter.
Poole, the third-year guard out of Michigan, picked the pocket of Kings guard De’Aaron Fox twice in the final eight minutes, both of which led to easy layups, one he finished on his own and another he dished to Lee.
“Jordan Poole probably had his best defensive game,” Kerr said. “And he supplemented it with a really good offensive night too.”
Payton, a defensive stalwart, sat in the back of the room and nodded his head in agreement while Kerr gave his postgame assessment.
Creating possessions
Poole’s late swipes of the Sacramento guard were two of 12 steals for the Warriors, while the Kings came away with none. The Warriors won the turnover battle, 19-6, and, more importantly, the battle for points off turnovers, 29-9.
“I think taking care of the ball was a huge part of our defense,” Kerr said. “That was the difference in the game. … We got all those extra possessions and we didn’t put ourselves in jeopardy in transition.”
Draymond’s aggression
Kerr said before the season that he wanted Draymond Green to impose his will more often offensively.
The 10th-year forward apparently got the message.
Green scored a season-high 14 points against Sacramento. But more broadly, he is exhibiting the attitude Kerr wants to see through the Warriors’ first three games.
Green has taken 7.3 shots per game over the season’s first week. He hasn’t averaged more shots per game since his last All-Star season in 2017-18.
“I’ve loved his energy, his attacking the rim,” Kerr said. “He’s just been super aggressive, which is the best version of him. … He’s had some hoops in all three games just going to the rim off the pocket pass from Steph.”
Curry pointed out one moment in the second quarter, when the ball was kicked to Green on the perimeter on a broken play. It wasn’t one of Green’s 12 attempts from the field — but it was the product of them.
“At first, his instinct was to look at the rim and attack. That just made everybody react,” Curry said. “Then he found (Nemanja Bjelica) on a backdoor cut. … It’s almost demoralizing for teams because you have to give up something.”
Source: www.mercurynews.com