The Golden State Warriors suffered a Game 1 defeat against the Sacramento Kings. As always, with losses come questions that players, even Stephen Curry, are tired of hearing.
The Warriors star was asked about his substitution pattern in Game 1, which has been a topic of discussion over the past two seasons. Just the mere mention of it brought a wide grin to Curry's face.
“I haven't asked you about your sub pattern in a while,” The Athletic's Anthony Slater posited to Steph Curry. “I think it was a 13-4 run to change it at the end of the 3rd. Where are you at now on your sub pattern?”
“I don't know, man. I played 37; that's 11 minutes on the bench,” he responded, clearly amused by the question. “Just trying to find the right times to get a little breather knowing I'm now playing 48. Yeah, I don't know.”
“I was waiting for you to say it,” the Warriors guard quickly retorted as The Athletic's Marcus Thompson II started asking a follow-up question on the same topic. “Y'all in cahoots over here. That's nice.”
Don't ask Stephen Curry about his sub pattern 😂 pic.twitter.com/FhMeEaUr4I
— KNBR (@KNBR) April 16, 2023
For much of the past decade, Warriors head coach Steve Kerr would leave Stephen Curry in to play the entire first and third quarters. Curry would then sit out for a good chunk to start the second and fourth quarters before coming back in to close the game. It allowed Curry to get into a rhythm with prolonged stretches of game play.
Kerr has since experimented to bring Curry out and get him rest earlier, which he did once again in Game 1 against the Kings. He was subbed out with two minutes left in the third quarter with Golden State up, 86-78. In the five minutes he spent on the bench they were outscored 23-11 by a lethal Sacramento offense.
When the Warriors lose, it's no surprise that these decisions come into question.
Follow Us
Subscribe