Steve Kerr discusses key Warriors matchups vs. Suns ahead of NBA play-in game
Warriors coach Steve Kerr speaks to reporters ahead of Golden State's play-in game vs. the Phoenix Suns on Friday night at Mortgage Matchup Center.
Steve Kerr discusses key Warriors matchups vs. Suns ahead of NBA play-in game originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
Video Transcript
There's Warriors folks in the house I'm sorry?
I said there's Warriors folks in there, Warriors media folks.
Uh- They get the first ones.
Okay.
I- is Kristaps available tonight?
hope so.
I think he's gotta warm up first.
And everyone else doing all right health-wise?
Yeah.
is there a minutes restriction on Steph or any- or anyone else?
yeah, but it's Again, it's- it's kinda loose.
It's more how they're feeling and, just kinda where they are coming off injuries.
We've, we followed it pretty well the other night, but every night's a little different.
So we'll see.
Steve, what happened with Kristaps' last game?
Was it just something happened or ...?
Something with his ankle.
yeah, I That's all I know.
How does you know, Mark Williams is out.
How does the fact that they don't have him do you feel like impacts, you know, the schematics of the game?
Well, Iguodala's a really good player.
they can play Dunn at the five, play small.
They're a good switching team.
I imagine we'll see both of those guys at the five.
They could play Mauck, so we'll just have to wait and see.
But, you know, I would, I would anticipate, both of those things, Dunn and, and more Dunn and Iguodala.
How important is it to have somebody like Gary Payton to do those marginal things on offense and defense in a game like this?
Gary's a crucial part of our team and our success over the last few years.
we don't beat the Celtics in the finals in '22 without him, just with his defense, his, ability to finish.
He's our best finisher, best screen-and-diver.
really creates a lot of offense for us.
He knows how to play with Steph, which is a, a critical part of, kind of our operation.
So, I love Gary.
We're lucky to have him, and I'm excited to get him out there tonight.
Draymond has, has taken on so many perimeter match-ups- Yeah in the second half of the season.
How might Booker compare to some of the other players he's taken on?
Are you trying to trick me into telling you that- Hypothetically.
Yeah, yeah.
How do you know he's gonna match up with him or- I don't know.
You don't, yeah.
Neither do I actually.
I, we haven't made that decision.
We're, we're gonna make it just before game time.
No, I'm, I'm kidding.
that's the beauty of Draymond.
He guards everybody.
That's why I've said he's the best defender I've ever seen.
and I've, I've seen some great ones, you know, played with some great ones.
but I've never seen anybody who can guard, literally the entire floor and any position.
You know, he can switch onto point guard, stay in front.
He can, you know, guard f- five men down on the block who are trying to post him up, everything in between.
He blows up plays.
there'll be plenty of switching tonight, for both teams.
I'm sure he'll get matched up with Book, you know, at times and, every player is unique.
Every great player is, is different.
Draymond is, a unique defender, and part of what makes him unique is his brain and, how much he loves to watch basketball on League Pass and, and, pick up on tendencies and, and that kind of stuff.
So no matter who he's guarding, he'll be ready.
You, you guys- Played eight the other night.
is, does Can you afford to do that again, one, and does this match up maybe lend you to be able to feel like you can play a, a couple more?
Well, the quick turnaround, definitely lends itself to playing a couple more.
I'm very comfortable, you know, playing, whether it's Pat or Will, Seth.
Bassey did a great job for us the last couple weeks, so I'm very comfortable playing any one of those guys and, we may have to given the, the turnaround and the number of minutes guys played the other night.
We have to wait and see how guys are looking and how they're feeling.
A- along those lines, like, how have you felt Y- you guys have recovered the last 48 hours just, you know, from a fatigue, energy level, but also emotionally.
Well, we'll see.
you know, the g- the guys got plenty of rest the last, two days.
No practice.
We just had meetings yesterday and today.
Optional shoot.
you know, but I, I think, the players, We just, we wanted them to get off their feet and, give them every opportunity to be ready to go tonight, but, no question it's, it's a quick turnaround and an emotional turnaround, you know, coming off, that comeback win.
So we gotta, we gotta get, get right quickly.
Hey, Steve.
Similar to what you were talking about with Gary's impact, Jordan Goodwin does a lot of the same things for these guys.
Just how much of a pest can he be on the ball?
Yeah, I mean, he'll, he'll definitely be on Steph quite a bit tonight.
good defender, good player.
He can knock down threes.
I love guys who play with energy, you know, who understand how to impact the game, and he's definitely one of those guys.
Cool.
Looking at- Looking at Santos and obviously him, you know, having to play when guys were out and now he's developed and gotten to be a better player, how big were those minutes that he got when key guys were down and now he's ready to, to be a major contributor?
Yeah, it's one of the, one of the, silver linings of, you know, a season like this where you get a lot of injuries.
you get, you see growth from younger players, and I think he has really grown.
A year ago, he was our number one plus minus player, but he played 14 minutes a night, and I used to tell the staff, you know, it's, probably 14 is enough because he plays so hard.
You know, I said, "I don't know if he can play much longer and still be effective."
He proved me wrong this year.
He's starting.
He's playing 35 minutes.
he's one of our most important players.
he does so many things.
He's, he feels the game.
He sees it.
He's a great competitor.
He plays with a lot of joy, typical Brazilian.
wonderful teammate.
just, um-Just a joy to coach.
And, you saw the other night, I mean, 20 points in, in, his first start in the, in the postseason, and, unfazed, and it was really fun to watch.
Steve, kind of following up on that, obviously your priority is this season and trying to win, but on some level, how satisfying has it been to see Guy and Brandon and Moses, before he got hurt- Yeah these guys are all 23, take pretty clear steps forward?
Yeah, it's been great, but it's, it, it hasn't just been all of a sudden.
You know, these guys have been growing and developing for the last few years.
You know, this is Brandon's third year.
He's helped us win a lot of games.
but I think these last couple months, he's really smoothed out some edges.
Guy, as I said, last year he was a crucial role player for us.
so he was already good.
Moses, same thing.
I mean, he was a starter for us last year.
It's just a reminder that, progress and development is never linear.
It's, never immediate.
but over time, when you give guys opportunity and they really, embrace the, the, the process and the coaching, like those three have, it's, it's really a fun process to see unfold.
Last thing I just wanna say, t- I wanna give my condolences to Oscar Schmidt's family.
You, you mentioned, Guy and it reminded me of reading the news today.
he was, one of the greatest shooters I've ever seen in my life.
just no conscience, just, a little bit, you know, of the Steph Curry mentality.
never ever, thought twice about letting it fly.
just a beautiful, player and, with a, an incredible mentality.
And on a personal note, I played against him in 1986 in the World Championships.
And I tore my ACL against Brazil, and he literally picked me up, carried me off the floor.
And, it was an, an incredible gesture, on his part.
And, you know, over the next few years, he, he really exploded.
I think he Didn't he have, like, 48 against Team USA a few years later?
And came over, I think, for a cup of coffee in the NBA and, But I always admired him so much, and, I was so sad to hear about the news today, only 68.
And the guy was absolutely beloved in Brazil, so to all our, Brazilian fans, I just wanna say my condolences.
and, and from the Warriors, we're, we're f- we're feeling for you.
