Header Ads

Home > Golden State Warriors > Los Angeles Lakers > NBA > Steve Kerr's Disastrous Decision Puts Warriors in 3-1 Hole - GAME 4 HIGHLIGHTS

Steve Kerr's Disastrous Decision Puts Warriors in 3-1 Hole - GAME 4 HIGHLIGHTS

May 09, 2023 , ,

Golden State Warriors coach Steve Kerr is shouldering the blame for his team's 3-1 deficit against the Los Angeles Lakers in the second round of the playoffs. The Warriors lost a thrilling Game 4, putting themselves in a terrible position as history shows that 95% of teams that go down 3-1 end up losing the series. It's a tough spot to be in, and Kerr is the one responsible for it.

Kerr's track record with the Warriors is impressive, with four championships and six NBA Finals appearances, revolutionizing their offense along the way. It's hard to criticize a coach with such success. However, the current situation demands an explanation, and that explanation points directly at Kerr.

One of the key issues lies in Kerr's reluctance to run pick-and-roll plays with Stephen Curry, one of the greatest pick-and-roll players in NBA history. While Golden State's off-ball movement and diverse offensive approach have their merits, there comes a time when simplicity is required. Give the ball to Curry and let him work his magic. It shouldn't be complicated.

In Game 7 against Sacramento, Kerr finally embraced the strategy of running the offense through Curry, and the result was a 50-point performance. Yet, in the very next game against the Lakers, Kerr reverted to using Curry off the ball. He only turns to this approach as a last resort, as evidenced by his reliance on Curry's individual brilliance in previous playoff series. Unfortunately, this late realization is often too little, too late.

Kerr referred to Game 1 against the Lakers as a "feel-out game," but it was actually a missed opportunity. In a closely contested series, an NBA coach shouldn't have to lose a playoff game to understand the obvious: the Warriors need to pull Anthony Davis away from the defensive paint. The most effective way to do that is by involving Curry in pick-and-rolls with Davis' assigned defender setting the screen. It's not rocket science. The Warriors executed this successfully in Game 2 and secured a victory.

However, in Game 3, when the Lakers made an adjustment to switch Davis onto JaMychal Green instead of Draymond Green, Kerr abandoned the pick-and-roll plays involving Davis. Perhaps he lacked faith in JaMychal Green's playmaking abilities in 4-on-3 situations. This overthinking approach was unnecessary. The blueprint was already established: give Curry the ball and make Davis' defender the screener. It led to easy buckets and had proven effective throughout the series.

During the first half of Game 4, when the Warriors embraced the Davis pick-and-roll actions, they scored 1.35 points per chance resulting from those plays. This approach generated highly efficient offense, with Golden State capitalizing on Davis' defensive presence. However, in the second half, Kerr significantly reduced the utilization of pick-and-roll plays involving Davis, and the Warriors suffered a loss, scoring only 17 points in the fourth quarter.

Some might argue that the Lakers manipulated the matchups by switching Davis onto different players. But this is an overcomplication. The focus should be on involving Davis in the action, regardless of the screener. The Lakers weren't aggressively trapping Curry, making it likely that he could have created opportunities for himself. The Warriors finally went back to this approach with just over a minute remaining in the game, resulting in a layup.

It's baffling to witness Kerr's reluctance to stick with a successful play, especially in crucial playoff games. While Kerr has been praised as a near-genius, this situation calls for basic basketball understanding. If something is working, don't fix it. Kerr has often relied on Curry's brilliance to overcome his coaching decisions, but the margin for error has diminished for the Warriors. They can no longer conjure offense effortlessly

Post a Comment

No comments

Subscribe to: Post Comments ( Atom )
Powered by Blogger.