Golden State Warriors: Takeaways From Game 1 Of The Preseason
By Aaron Mah
Kerr Already Staggering KD & Steph
One of the most infuriating things Thunder fans have had to endure over the years was the refusal of coaches Scott Brooks and Billy Donovan (only initially) to ever stagger the minutes of Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook.
It wasn’t until after the All-Star break when Donovan started to play KD more with OKC’s second unit.
Steve Kerr, in contrast, seems to have learned from Donovan’s and Brooks’ mistakes — sitting KD a bit earlier than Steph, Klay and Draymond, and inserting him back into the lineup during the start of the second quarter alongside Shaun Livingston and Iggy.
While playing the 4 on the Dubs’ second unit, KD was utilized more as a primary ball-handler, as opposed to a spot-up shooter and closeout attacker.
Having KD and Steph on the court at all times should shore up Golden State’s net rating with Curry on the bench, which sat at a disappointing minus-4.3 (when compared to plus-17.9 when he was on the floor) last season, per Basketball-Reference.