Graham Ike and Charles Bassey were two of the Golden State Warriors' better players in Saturday's loss to the Phoenix Suns, but neither of the young center duo were part of Steve Kerr's plans heading into Monday night's game against the Denver Nuggets.
Kerr instead went sall with Draymond Green at the five, and with Al Horford complementing the veteran forward as the sole center off the bench. It was a clear message from Kerr to the front office that he's not going to trust Ike and Bassey in the biggest matchups, and that the Warriors need to find an upgrade at that position if they're to prevent burdening the veteran duo of Green and Horford as the season progresses.
Steve Kerr sends clear message to Warriors front office with center rotation
The decision not to utilize either Ike or Bassey on the main rotation on Monday was ultimately the right one, with the Warriors claiming their first victory of the season in a dominant 134-114 win as they torched the Nuggets over the final three quarters.
Horford and Green were excellent defensively. Taking on the unenviable task of guarding three-time MVP Nikola Jokic, they limited the Serbian superstar to just 19 points on 8-of-18 shooting from the floor. Perhaps most importantly, they kept Jokic off the free-throw line as he only got there on three occassions (making two).
Horford also added 11 points on 4-of-5 shooting (3-of-3 from three-point range) in his 19 minutes off the bench, while Green dished out seven assists (though he did have five turnovers) in Golden State's 20-point win.
Did it work on Monday? Yes. Is it sustainable across the course of a long season if the Warriors truly want to be a playoff team? Surely not. Monday's game proved that while Ike and Bassey can play a role in certain matchups on certain nights, Kerr isn't going to throw them out there in against the best players in the biggest moments.
Warriors need to sort out their Kristaps Porzingis situation
Golden State had hoped Kristaps Porzingis would be there to be the starting quality center they need, greatly reducing the workload for Green and Horford while bringing real value as an asset to the team.
But Porzingis may never play basketball again and remains out indefinitely as the Warriors explore trade options involving the former All-Star. The Warriors are in a tough spot where they have practically no leverage in negotiations given Porzingis' lack of value, yet they need to find a starting quality center sooner rather than later.
Kerr blatantly told Mike Dunleavy Jr. and the front office that Ike and Bassey won't cut it for a single second against the best. Now the Warriors need to find another more reliable player who can, rather than leave it to a 6'6" forward and 40-year-old in year 20.
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