Golden State Warriors potentially fumbling a prime opportunity for growth

Steve Kerr has indicated the Golden State Warriors are placing an emphasis on chasing wins this season rather than developing their youth. A fair point, though it might cost them a prime opportunity for growth during the preseason.

The Golden State Warriors should look to give the rookies more opportunities in the preseason before the official start of the 2021-22 NBA season.

It makes all the sense in the world for Kerr to prioritize initiating names like Otto Porter, Avery Bradley, Nemanja Bjelica and Andre Iguodala into the lineup. Working these vets into the rotation early and building chemistry will give the Dubs the greatest chance of reaching the playoffs this season.

As a consequence, Moses Moody and Jonathan Kuminga have played limited minutes in the preseason. With Kuminga nursing a strained patella tendon — the opportunity to get this experience has already diminished.

Again, this makes sense from the standpoint of gunning for as many wins as possible. But, it is hard not to feel like this is a wasted opportunity for growth as the stakes will only get higher as the season progresses.

The risk of playing Kuminga and Moody heavy minutes in the preseason is minimal. However, playing them later in the year could result in crucial losses. What if the Warriors are plagued by injury once again and the rookies are tossed into the fire without much preparation?

Getting at least a few reps in with the starters could be beneficial. Up to this point, neither Moody or Kuminga have played alongside Stephen Curry or Draymond Green in the preseason. According to a report from The Athletic, the two rookies have not shared the court with the stars in practice, either.

This is an interesting move from Kerr. Allowing the rookies to get some early runs with the best players on the team would be an easy way to make them battle-tested before a long season begins. Yet, opting to maximize the preseason with veteran talent is a good way to make the team more competitive early on.

While Kuminga is out, Moody still has a chance to play more minutes early in the season. He has an obvious path to moving up in the rotation if he can buy into his role and make an impact defensively. On Friday against the Lakers, he briefly showed his skillset by scoring 10 points on 3-of-3 shooting from deep in a blowout win for the Dubs.

Nevertheless, Kerr’s decision to focus on the vets could be the correct one. There is no reason to rush the rookies into anything and a season playing as reserves might set them up for more success in the future.