SUMMARY
- Steve Kerr has not allowed Steph Curry play over 32 minutes per game this season.
- Kerr's decision to not play Curry throughout the fourth quarter against the Timberwolves led to a loss.
There is a lot of noise surrounding Steph Curry and the Golden State Warriors. Obviously, the Warriors haven’t had the best run this season. After their most recent loss, the Dubs have now put themselves at risk of missing the Play-In Tournament. Things seemed fairly great following the 2024 NBA All-Star Game, however, they have taken quite a beating recently.
In their recent upset against the Minnesota Timberwolves, Steve Kerr did not let Steph Curry play too many minutes in the final quarter. This allowed the Wolves to take over the scoreboard while the Warriors lacked offense. Kerr said, “We can’t expect to just ride Steph. We’ve put the burden of this franchise on his shoulders for 15 years.” He claimed that it was time the other players stepped up in place of the veteran.
Chandler Parsons believes Steph Curry should be given more minutes
Chandler Parsons gave an interesting take on the ongoing debate involving Steph Curry. The former NBA player believes that there’s no harm in playing Curry for a few more minutes. He said, “You’re a game ahead of the Houston Rockets to not even making the Play-Ins. We’ve been talking all year long about making the Play-In, are they going to make the sixth seed? Who is it going to be them or the Lakers? So no, I would think the exact opposite. This is when you ride Steph Curry. This is when you push him.”
Former NBA wing disagrees with Steve Kerr’s comments: ‘This is when you ride Steph Curry’ https://t.co/eDWfN4uQDV
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) March 25, 2024
Parsons believes Kerr shouldn’t try to provide a learning curve for the youngsters but rather let the Warriors focus on winning. It is a similar situation with the Los Angeles Lakers and LeBron James. However, the difference is that LA is giving James more time on the floor knowing that he can bring there a victory. LA happens to rank right above the Warriors in the Western Conference. They are 3.5 games ahead of the Warriors as well.
How many minutes does Steph Curry average per game?
Throughout his career, Steph Curry has always been benched during crucial minutes. But in comparison to their championship days, the Warriors’ roster had more stars to rely on. Back then, it wouldn’t have made much of a difference to bench Curry for 2-3 minutes in the final quarter as they had Klay Thompson or Kevin Durant on the floor to help accumulate points.
If Steph Curry plays the same minutes as the 40 yr old LeBron does the Warriors would be in the 4 seed right now #FireKerr pic.twitter.com/b6UIJCIloY
— E ☀️ (@DubMnE) March 25, 2024
The 2x League MVP has averaged 34.2 minutes per game throughout his career. He played the most minutes during his rookie year, averaging 36.2 per game. In his last three seasons, he averaged just above 34 minutes per game. But this season, he only appears on the floor for 32.7 minutes per game. The Warriors have experienced more success in the last three seasons with Curry playing more minutes.