Warriors Defeat Grizzlies 121-113! Curry's Latest News, The Real Challenge Isn't Winning, It's Kerr's Post-game Comments
On January 5th, Beijing time, the Warriors played against the Grizzlies at home. The game ended with the Warriors successfully defeating the Grizzlies 121-113. In this game, the Warriors were without Curry, so they faced significant challenges in trying to win against the Grizzlies. However, the Warriors quickly took the lead and maintained it throughout the game. When the Grizzlies attempted to catch up, the Warriors consistently responded, especially in the third quarter when Wiggins' performance was crucial for the Warriors to maintain their lead. In the fourth quarter, as the Grizzlies were about to overtake, Green and Schroder hit key three-pointers, followed by a three-pointer from Waters, which ultimately secured the victory for the Warriors.
Curry missed the game due to a knee injury, and there is new information regarding his condition. After the game, Kerr mentioned that Curry may not necessarily sit out back-to-back games for the rest of the season, but during this period, he will rest due to his knee tendinitis. The training team believes that, for now, it is most reasonable not to let him play in back-to-back games. However, this situation may change as things progress. It is clear that the reason Curry did not play today, aside from his injury, is because the Warriors have upcoming back-to-back games. Therefore, Curry did not participate, and the Warriors' approach is correct since Curry is vital to the team. The Warriors need to ensure Curry's health, and since they can win without him, Curry can rest more confidently.
However, for the Warriors, the real challenge is not winning but Kerr's post-game comments. In today's post-game interview, Kerr said: "We haven't reached the point where we can say 'Hey, we're good enough, let's just maintain this.' We must evaluate all options, but for me, it's about seeing what we can do in the coming weeks. I hope we can finalize our rotation and start shooting better." It seems that Kerr has finally decided to finalize the team's rotation, which is a crucial matter for the Warriors. The reason for their recent struggles is their lengthy rotation, which causes problems during the rotation phase, leading to reversals.
After the Warriors defeated the 76ers by a large margin, Curry and Green expressed that reducing the rotation would indeed benefit the team, as it allows them to play more smoothly in the game. Therefore, seeing Kerr express such thoughts is very important for the Warriors, and in the upcoming games, Kerr needs to turn these thoughts into reality. Just like in today's game, if Waters can perform well, he should get more playing time. However, if he performs poorly, Kerr should be cautious in choosing him. This applies not only to Waters but also to Bjelica, Payton, and others upon their return, especially Bjelica. If he performs poorly in the game, Kerr should reduce his playing time.
In tomorrow's game, the Warriors will face the Kings in a back-to-back match. It won't be easy for the Warriors to win, as although the Kings have performed poorly this season, they have shown improvement since Brown's departure. The Kings have now achieved a three-game winning streak, including victories over the Mavericks, 76ers, and Grizzlies. This winning streak has some substance, so the Warriors cannot underestimate the Kings. If Curry can return to the game, he should at least perform as expected. Otherwise, if Curry performs poorly in the game, the Warriors may struggle to win.