Did Steve Kerr hint at Golden State Warriors need for big man reinforcements?

The Golden State Warriors rolled out their usual starting lineup for the first time since December 2 on Tuesday, but it failed to pay dividends as they suffered a shock 125-113 loss to the Phoenix Suns. 

Still, it’s a far cry from the short-handed Warrior rotation we’ve seen over the last month. It’s rare that head coaches reveal their anxiety over player availability and the extra workload on others, but that’s exactly what Steve Kerr did prior to the last game of their eight-game homestand.

Golden State Warriors’ head coach Steve Kerr admits he’s ‘concerned’ about the workload on frontcourt duo Draymond Green and Kevon Looney.

JaMychal Green has been missing since the December 18 game in Toronto, owing to Covid and then an infection in his leg. James Wiseman saw greater opportunities as a result, but he too has now missed the last five games after an ankle sprain in practice. It’s left increasing pressure on the starting pair of Draymond Green and Kevon Looney, with that fact not lost on Kerr.

"“I’m concerned about Draymond and Loon right now. They’ve been playing such heavy minutes with the number of bigs who have been out over the last few weeks”, Kerr said.“It’s that time of year anyway, that’s difficult. After the new year, before the All-Star break. Raining every day. The guys who have been playing heavy minutes absolutely need a break, but you’ve got to do what you’ve got to do.”"

Is Kerr hinting at the potential acquisition of another big, or is he simply wishing for a quick return for Green and Wiseman? The pair will be re-evaluated over the next 24 hours, but if there’s any sense of pessimism on their short-term future, then Golden State may not have any other choice but to look at outside options.

However, it’s also fair to acknowledge that Looney, in particular, went through the same thing last season and was still playing at an incredibly high level in the final rounds of the postseason. He’s developed himself into somewhat of an ironman, and perhaps the Warriors will bank on that despite being less-than-ideal.

Unfortunately for Golden State, their 20-21 record means they’re not in a position where they can afford to rest players. It means that Green and Looney will need to continue to grind out regular season minutes, then be ready for a full-on sprint to the championship come playoff-time.