NBA WESTERN CONFERENCE FIRST ROUND: WARRIORS vs KINGS

April 23, 2023

Steve Kerr

Media Conference

Golden State Warriors 126, Sacramento Kings 125

STEVE KERR: We took the challenge and when the challenge was unsuccessful, as we were exiting the huddle, it's on me. I've got to remind the guys, we're out of time-outs and I didn't say that, and so Steph wasn't aware. That's on me for not making that clear.

And then on that play, we had all four of the other guys running to the other end and they hit Steph in the backcourt and we didn't have a trail man. So we've got to handle the pressure better, late game, and taking care of the ball.

But the time-out is 100 percent on me.

Q. Is it a little stunning to have that happen and give up a point, lose possession of the ball and give up a three? What was the conversations? What was the mood as it was happening, a one-point game?

STEVE KERR: Just moving on to the next play. There's no time to be angry or frustrated. You just have to keep going and our guys did that. We made a couple incredible stops down the stretch. Got a couple key rebounds. We had a chance to really break it open there in the final minute, but for that play, and the turnover in transition.

So give them credit. Sacramento really hung in there. But our guys closed it out with a stop at the end and we're where we need to be.

Q. You guys doubled Fox late on that last possession. Were you okay with the look that Barnes got and just what's your mindset as you're watching that shot go up?

STEVE KERR: Yeah, we wanted to get the ball out of Fox's hands and try to get back to wherever the shooter was going to be and in that case it, was Harrison, and got a good look. It reminded me of the Wiggs look in Game 1.

These games are coming down to the wire, and you've just got to really finish possessions and try to give yourself the best chance, and then sometimes, it's just, does the ball go in or not.

Q. What do you think of Draymond's defense, especially down the stretch, and take us through the decision-making in bringing him him off the bench instead of starting?

STEVE KERR: His defense was great. He had not come off the bench in ten years since before I was coaching. But he came to me immediately after Game 3. He drove back to the arena and was in my office and he walked in and he said, "What do you think about me coming off the bench?"

Man, I had been thinking about it already because the way Sacramento was guarding us, and just getting another shooter on the floor. We always collaborate. The decisions we make are collaborative with our key players, so that was a collaboration, but Draymond offered it, and this is how we've approached a lot of playoff games.

Steph has come off the bench, four games last year against Denver. Wiggs came off the bench in Game 1. You do whatever you have to do, and I thought Draymond had a great second half, really got himself going. Defensively he was fantastic, and you know, only had one turnover. Again, huge key for us taking care of the ball and we did that. We eventually got back to that two-big lineup with Draymond and Loon and they did a great job together.

Q. I was going to ask you about going back to the two-big lineup. Was that because of the way they were rebounding against you?

STEVE KERR: Fox had such a big second half, so we wanted to change the coverage and the look. You can't just keep doing the same thing if a guy is torching you like that.

We decided to put Draymond on him, just change the look, and he still had a great second half. He's a handful. But getting Draymond on him and getting Draymond going offensively got him going; he got himself going through his play, and he was great second half.

Q. You said you were thinking about taking Draymond off the bench even before this game. Is that something you want to continue to do as the series unfolds or still taking it game-by-game?

STEVE KERR: I'm not telling that you. (Laughter).

Q. Why not?

STEVE KERR: Why would I come in here -- because we're tight?

Q. I thought we were cool.

STEVE KERR: You're really cool. I'm not telling you. (Laughter) nice Vans.

Q. What's the logic in layman's terms, bringing Draymond off the bench at the start?

STEVE KERR: It becomes a one-big game instead of a two-big game. The spacing was an issue in the first two games in Sacramento and the spacing was part of the reason for the turnovers.

So you take Draymond out and you put Jordan in and now you've got four players around the three-point line, one big. It just creates passing lanes, driving lanes and makes the game easier on our offensive players.

Q. Did that become more evident when Draymond sat the game out?

STEVE KERR: I think the thinking behind it is when you play well in the playoffs, and something good happens, then you stick with it. Because you know, these are games of really detailed adjustments, unlike the regular season where you're just moving from game to game.

Every playoff game, if you find something that works, you've got to stay with it, and if it's not working, you've got to try something different.

So I think that's why Draymond and I were both thinking the same thing after Game 3, because we've been through this together for almost a decade, and he saw, it made a change in just the chess board and it allowed our guys to have a little more space offensively.

Q. You've been through so many of these over these big games. You've won championships. From a layman, it feels like your team should be better at finishing games, but is it more about, hey, this is what happens and it's about surviving it and that's what makes you so good or do you expect to be able to finish better than you do as a champion?

STEVE KERR: I think we'll finish better next game. I think we'll do a better job. It's just a matter of taking care of the details.

You know, we did some great things down the stretch, getting stops, and just a couple times we couldn't get the defensive rebound, and then the time-out mess which was my fault, and the turnover.

So all it takes (snapping fingers) is a couple plays and it changes everything. We've gotten better but I think we have got to be better.

Q. When Draymond approaches you and said it might be better for him to come off the, bench, what does that tell you about, where his head is at and where the team is at emotionally?

STEVE KERR: Didn't surprise me because I know at his core, Draymond just wants to win. For all of his emotion and passion and things that he gets into with the league or the opponent or the officials, it's all coming from a place of competitive desire. He's one of great competitors I've ever been around. He's one of the smartest players I've of been around.

Didn't surprise me because he recognized the same thing that I did, which made it a lot easier; the fact that he came in and suggested it, that makes it a lot easier, and then we go from there.

Q. What do you think of Klay Thompson tonight, plus 22 and 39 minutes?

STEVE KERR: Klay was amazing, hit some huge shots, but also his defense, that was vintage two-way Klay. Just both ends of the floor, making one big play after another, playing 39 minutes that, was really, really something.

Q. Steph played 43 minutes, the entire fourth quarter and you played seven guys in the second half. Is that just where the series is and can you keep up the minutes?

STEVE KERR: That's where the game was tonight. They countered our substitution pattern in Game 3 with some changes of their own tonight, trying to match up -- get matchups that they preferred. That probably kept Stephon the floor a little bit longer. We'll have to look at that.

But ideally, I'd like to keep him closer to 38, 37, but whatever the game calls for at this stage.

Q. What do you like about Draymond on Fox, and was that just a halftime idea that came to you guys?

STEVE KERR: Yeah, someone on the staff suggested it, and you know, it's the beauty of Draymond defensively. There's so many versatility there that he can guard anybody. We just thought it could be a good idea to give Fox a different look and change the coverage a little bit. I thought it clicked. It worked. We had the big third quarter and Fox really got going.

But probably the biggest stretch of the game for them was the fourth when he was out and their guys went on a 10-2 run or something like that to start the quarter. That was a big moment, and that's why we kept our guys out there and why we used our time-outs up.

When I had two left, I took the first one just to give the guys a rest because we were playing them a lot of minutes, and then you know, the second one, obviously is the challenge, and then we're left without one.

So I was trying to good of our guys as much rest as possible, knowing that we weren't getting our key guys out in the fourth quarter.

Q. In addition to putting Draymond on Fox, was there anything else that you guys wanted to do or was it just attitude changing?

STEVE KERR: Attitude. Make sure we're much more active, especially from the perimeter. We were leaking out a little bit. I didn't think our guard rebounding was great in the first half and second half, our guards got back in there can did a much better job. Wiggs had eight. Steph had five. Jordan had a couple. So our guys got back into the play and I thought we were a little more physical.

Q. You mentioned someone on the staff had that idea. Usually name that person. Curious who it was that had the idea to put Draymond on Fox.

STEVE KERR: Well, Dejan mentioned it to me. I think he might have been discussing it behind the bench with Chris DeMarco. We've got like 117 coaches so I'm not quite sure. It was just a couple of our coaches. I think it was Dejan and CD bringing it up at halftime. It's kind of our routine at half is to throw out some ideas and settle on one.

Q. One of your first big moves as head coach was making Draymond a starter. At the time it meant a lot to him to be a starter but do you think it matters to him now?

STEVE KERR: He just wants to win. He's going to tell you that if he comes in here. That's the only thing that matters at this stage.

The regular season is so different. You don't make moves like this the regular season because it's really about managing your team and every personality and making sure you've got guys on board, and as soon as you're in the playoffs, all bets are off. You just do whatever you have to do.