Steve Kerr’s lack of trust in the Golden State Warriors’ recent lottery picks has been painfully evident at times this season. Most recently, in a must-win game against the Sacramento Kings on Monday, Kerr utilized Jonathan Kuminga, Moses Moody and James Wiseman for less than 18 combined minutes.
That included a DNP for Wiseman after a string of underwhelming performances, while Kuminga failed to see second-half minutes after an inconsistent period in the first half. Instead, Kerr preferred two-way player Anthony Lamb in the frontcourt alongside the likes of starters Draymond Green and Kevon Looney.
Fans should expect to see more of Anthony Lamb and Ty Jerome after comments from Golden State Warriors’ head coach Steve Kerr on Wednesday.
If fans were hoping to see Monday’s game against the Kings as a one-off — that the three lottery picks would see more time going forward — then they may be in for a disappointment. According to the below tweet from ESPN’s Kendra Andrews, Kerr will continue relying on Lamb and fellow two-way player Ty Jerome.
Kerr said that while the Warriors try to clean up their defense and are operating with a smaller margin of error, they will rely more on two-way players Ty Jerome and Anthony Lamb - who Kerr says have a bit more experience - than their young trio of Moody, Kuminga and Wiseman.
— Kendra Andrews (@kendra__andrews) November 9, 2022
That’s the sad truth of where Golden State sit right now — two players signed just day before the season are, according to Kerr, more dependable than three recent lottery picks. As fans, it’s a genuine letdown, even if Kerr’s right in that it increases overall chance of team victory. The anticipation and excitement surrounding the trio was palpable prior to the season, and it’s now turned to pessimism and genuine anxiousness whenever they see the floor.
Kerr’s statement comes in the wake of Bob Myers’ comments on Tuesday, with the general manager suggesting Wiseman and Kuminga could be sent to the G-League for further reps.
"“I think it’s always an option, I know that in some people’s minds it’s a huge thing to do, I guess I don’t view it the same. If they go down there and do a couple games and come back, or more, it’s becoming more commonplace”, Myers said."
The franchise won’t have many alternatives if the pair continue to be left out of Kerr’s rotation. Moody, as expected, is the most consistent of the three, and his versatility means he could be plugged in at any moment with almost any lineup.
If the Warriors do go down the G-League path, they’ll hope that Wiseman and Kuminga take giant strides resembling that of Jordan Poole during his stint with the Santa Cruz Warriors in the 2020/21 season.