Golden State Warriors: 3 takeaways from Game 4 vs. Rockets
2. Kerr goes tall, comes up short
Back to 2016. Remember Game 7 of the Finals, when Steve Kerr decided to play Festus Ezeli in the fourth quarter? Sure, Iguodala was hobbled, but Shaun Livingston was available, and getting Green to center should have been the priority.
An Iguodala injury again complicated Kerr’s rotations in Game 4 against Houston. Unable to close with the Hamptons lineup, the coach had to go with either Livingston or a traditional big man alongside his four stars. Kerr chose size, alternating between Kevon Looney and Jordan Bell four different times while the offense stagnated and Houston punished the inexperienced, tired centers.
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Of course, Looney and Bell are far more mobile than Ezeli. But neither is Green, who is the best defensive center in the NBA when he plays there. Offensively, he’s also far better than either young big, as is Livingston.
Mike D’Antoni sensed the need for downsizing, and he has a far better big man in Clint Capela than the Warriors have anywhere. Still, he went with Tucker at the 5 for the final 6:24 of the game. Kerr’s unwillingness to match small-for-small with better personnel was baffling.
Maybe he was being conservative.It was only Game 4, and his team was up 2-1. That would still be a mistake for reasons we discussed earlier (urgency, health, momentum and all that), but it at least provides hope that he won’t do the same thing in Games 5, 6 and 7 if it occurs.
That, along with another overdue adjustment, could save this series for Golden State.