“It’s what it is: three to one,” coach Steve Kerr told reporters after Game 4 on Monday. “You go home and take care of the business and you get a win and the momentum comes back in your favor. That’s it. Somebody has to win four times and that’s why you play it.”
It didn’t help that young Golden State players couldn’t fill the void left by a night off from Curry. For the Lakers, guard Lonnie Walker, 24, In his fifth year, and scored 15 points, including a crucial basket on fourth down to keep Golden State at bay. Second year guard Austin Reeves24 also, chipped in 21 points.
These types of contributions have eluded Golden State in the postseason. Instead, Golden State had to rely as much on Curry at 35 as it did when he was 25, which is a recipe for trouble late in the season.
For years, the Golden State front office has been selling a two-schedule development plan. He will try to chase championships for the time being on the backs of Curry, Thompson and Green, while also developing young talent like Jonathan Cuminga, 20, (drafted 7th in 2021); Musa Moody, 20, (Fourteenth pick in the same draft); James Wiseman, 22 (2nd pick in 2020); and Jordan Paul, 23, (28th pick in 2019).
It was a risky maneuver with mixed results. That means not trading young, developing talent for the veterans who can help the team now, and placing more of the burden on Curry in the back half of his career. Indeed, Golden State Traded Weisman this season As injuries and inconsistencies left him without a decisive role in the rotation. Moody and Kuminga, each in their sophomore year, were pulled in and out of the lineup for the entire season, even though Moody was playing in the series. He scored 7 points in 19 minutes Monday night.
This is not abnormal for gamers barely out of their teenage years. But Golden State has one of the best players in NBA history and he’s playing at a high level now. Moody and Kuminga need to be better immediately to take advantage of Carey’s window.
Paul was baffled. At times during his four-year career, he was Golden State’s Most Valuable Player. When the team’s top stars faced injuries, Paul was relied upon to fill their absences as a reliable scorer. Last year, he was a key part of the Golden State team that won a championship, and started the most games during the regular season. Paul was a concrete example of the investment in a young player who worked for Golden State.