The Golden State Warriors found something in guard Pat Spencer during Steph Curry’s absence, and they simply can’t go back to how things were before.
Head coach Steve Kerr spoke on Tuesday and provided insight into Spencer’s role now that Curry is healthy enough to return to the floor, and obviously the starting lineup as well.
“I’m not going to take away all of his minutes,” Kerr said of Spencer on the “Willard & Dibs” show Tuesday, December 9. “I can tell you that I’m definitely going to play him with Steph some, and we’ll see. Some of it will depend on matchups, how well we can hold up defensively, the three guys we put with [Curry and Spencer]. All of that has to be determined.”
“But the way Pat is playing, the way he’s impacting winning, the way he’s impacting the competitive spirit of the team, I have to keep playing him,” Kerr continued. “I mean, we’re winning, and he’s a huge part of that.”
Pat Spencer’s Numbers Have Been Impressive in 5 Games Since Steph Curry Went Down With Injury
GettyGuard Pat Spencer of the Golden State Warriors.
Curry went down with quadriceps injury against the Houston Rockets on November 26 and has been sidelined ever since. He will come back to the team on Friday, December 12 for a home contest against the Minnesota Timberwolves.
In between Curry’s injury and return, the Warriors have played five games. They are 3-2 over that span — including winners of the last two outings, in which Spencer was part of the starting lineup.
Over the past five games, Spencer has averaged 23.2 minutes of court time per night. He has also produced 13.6 points, 4.8 assists, 3.6 rebounds and nearly one steal per game. Spencer has shot 59.5 percent from the field and 66.7 percent from behind the 3-point line on roughly two attempts per contest across the five-game stretch.
Golden State is now 13-12 on the year and currently occupies the No. 8 spot in the Western Conference.
Draymond Green Will Practice, Scrimmage Ahead of Warriors’ Next Game
GettyGolden State Warriors forward Draymond Green.
While Curry will return Friday following five days off for the entire team due to the single-elimination rounds of the NBA Cup currently taking place in Las Vegas, for which the Warriors did not qualify this year, his longtime teammate Draymond Green remains a question mark.
A foot injury has sidelined Green for the last two games. And while Kerr was hopeful for Green’s possible return Friday, the coach said he doesn’t yet have enough information to make a definitive statement one way or the other.
“He’s scheduled to practice [Wednesday]. And with the scrimmage [Thursday], we’ll have a much better feel afterwards for how close he is,” Kerr said. “But I don’t have an answer yet as to whether he’ll play on Friday.”
Coming off a three-game Eastern Conference road trip, the Warriors play just once at home before heading back out on the road for another two-game stint, this time through the West. Golden State travels to Portland to take on the Trail Blazers on December 14 before matching up with the Phoenix Suns December 18.
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