On the primary night time of a Midwest back-to-back, the Warriors will probably be down a number of key contributors — specifically stars Steph Curry, Jimmy Butler and Draymond Inexperienced — in opposition to the Cleveland Cavaliers.
With out these regular veterans, coach Steve Kerr wants a giant night time from Golden State’s second timeline, notably two gamers who’ve struggled recently: Jonathan Kuminga and Brandin Podziemski. Earlier than Saturday’s matchup in Cleveland, Kerr detailed some areas he must see enchancment from that younger duo.
“Properly, JK, it is all the time run the ground, care for the ball — the turnovers have been a problem recently,” Kerr advised reporters. “So I am actually urging him to stand up the ground as a substitute of, you understand, holding again within the backcourt and asking for the ball. I need him to be the primary man down the ground, not the final. And I feel that is been a problem the previous few video games. I do not suppose he is working the ground that effectively.”
Kuminga had a powerful begin to the 2025-26 NBA season however hasn’t seemed fairly like himself since coming back from a seven-game absence as a consequence of bilateral knee tendinitis.
Podziemski, however, has been thrust into a bigger function whereas Curry is out with a quad contusion. However in Thursday’s loss to the Philadelphia 76ers, Podziemski was a team-worst minus-20 in slightly below 20 minutes, whereas third-string level guard Pat Spencer was a team-best plus-17 in 24 minutes.
“After which with Brandin, he is obtained to get off the ball early,” Kerr continued. “When he will get into hassle is when he tries too onerous to make performs on his personal, as a substitute of doing what he does greatest, which is to maneuver the ball and be a part of a five-man group that’s actually executing.
“That is why Pat has closed these final couple of video games and performed a lot of the fourth quarters, if not all, as a result of he is doing that. So Brandin must get again to simply specializing in the issues he does greatest.”
With Golden State lacking virtually all of their veterans on Saturday, Kerr wants Kuminga and Podziemski to return to kind to have any probability at taking down a gifted Cavaliers squad on the highway.
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