Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr is doing everything he can to maintain a healthy roster ahead of the 2022-23 season, and one of his goals is managing Stephen Curry’s workload.
In order to extend Curry’s prime, Kerr believes that the guard’s playing time should be limited. In an interview with NBC Sports on Apple Podcasts, the coach explained his strategy.
“Well, I think a player extends his prime by getting himself in great shape, like Steph,” Kerr explained.
Moreover, some NBA betting sites are giving the Warriors the highest odds to win another championship in 2023. Find out which sportsbooks can expect repeats.
Kerr is changing the Warriors’ practice this offseason as he continues to improve as a coach.
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“Then we’ll try to provide the resources he needs to do that with Rick Celebrini and his team and we have an amazing performance team and Steph will work closely with them to build his routine throughout the year,” the Warriors coach continued.
“In the summer, as a staff, I think we can do a lot to limit Steph’s minutes at key times … you know, he shouldn’t be playing 38 minutes every night. But in the game, you gotta do what you gotta do.
“So we’ve got to get him up to speed and help him with the staff during the regular season and help him extend that prime time…”
Warriors head coach Steve Kerr believes the key to success is Stephen Curry’s load management.
Last season, in 64 starts, Curry averaged 25.5 points, 5.2 rebounds, 6.3 assists and 1.3 steals per game. Also averaging 34.5 minutes, the eight-time All-Star shot 43.7% from the field and 38% from 3-point range.
Of course, the Finals MVP hasn’t averaged more than 35 minutes since the 2013-14 season. Even then, Curry averaged 24 points per game that season. “Less is more” seems like the best approach for the 13-year veteran.
“You can’t do the same thing over and over again,” the Warriors coach said. “And I think it’s important to constantly try to improve from year to year. And that’s something I always try to keep in mind.”
34 minutes appears to be Curry’s sweet spot. During the 2015-16 season, the guard averaged a career-high 30.1 points per game in 79 games. He averaged a career-high 2.1 steals per contest.
In 63 games during the 2020-21 season, the two-time MVP averaged 34.2 minutes and a game-best 32 points per game. It is especially important for pre-season cargo handling. No one wants to deal with a serious injury in an exhibition game.
Additionally, in the 2022 NBA Finals, Stephen Curry averaged 31.2 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists and 2 steals per game. On the big stage, he averaged 37.6 minutes against the Boston Celtics. For the Finals series, an exception could be made for the Warriors star.
