Why the Warriors turned to two-way players Ty Jerome, Anthony Lamb over
lottery picks
James Wiseman didn't play Monday against the Kings, and Jonathan Kuminga
was benched for the second half.
>Golden State Warriors’ Anthony Lamb #40 passes in the third quarter of
their NBA game against the Sacramento Kings at the Chase Center in San
Francisco, Calif., on Monday, Nov. 7, 2022. (Jane Tyska/Bay Area News Group)
By MADELINE KENNEY | mkenney@bayareanewsgroup.com | Bay Area News Group
PUBLISHED: November 10, 2022 at 5:15 a.m. | UPDATED: November 10, 2022
at 12:09 p.m.
https://www.eastbaytimes.com/2022/11/10/why-the-warriors-are-playing-two-way-players-ty-jerome-anthony-lamb-over-lottery-picks/

SAN FRANCISCO — Coach Steve Kerr knew the challenge facing the Warriors
this season.

Kerr and his staff are tasked with developing future foundational talent
alongside a dynastic trio of champions who reminded the league this
summer they’re not done winning.

While some praised the Warriors for winning a title with three guys
unable to legally purchase a beer at the beginning of the season, this
season is the first time the dueling timelines are actually converging.
With key players, like Gary Payton II and Otto Porter Jr., departing in
free agency, the Warriors turned to up-and-coming youngsters like
Jonathan Kuminga and Moses Moody to fill those holes. They were also
excited for the return of James Wiseman, the team’s highest draft pick
in 25 years who missed all of last season with a knee injury and still
remains a 7-foot question mark as to what the Warriors have in him.

It’s been a rough start for the defending champs. They’re 4-7, 12th in
the Western Conference standings.

Golden State is dealing with an identity crisis it didn’t seem to
expect. Scoring hasn’t been an issue. But after being among the best
defensive units in the league last season, the Warriors are among the
worst this season, allowing a league-leading 120.6 points per game. Even
more concerning, Golden State has already surrendered 125-plus points
after giving up that many just twice a season ago.

There are a few reasons for the Warriors’ defensive woes, but the
bench’s inexperience has been at the top of that list. Golden State is
winning the minutes superstar Stephen Curry is on the court but losing
the ones he’s off.

As a result, the Warriors’ rotation remains fluid, and the team’s
youngest players are dealing with uncertainty night in and night out.
Kuminga has ridden the bench in three games. He earned a spot in the
rotation after impressing last weekend against New Orleans when the
majority of the starters sat out. But the 20-year-old was reminded how
valuable those opportunities are Monday when he didn’t see the court in
the second half of the Warriors’ win over the Kings after tallying five
points and finishing minus-17 in nine minutes during the opening quarters.

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Meanwhile, Wiseman, who had been one of the first players off the bench
in previous games but has struggled with timing and finding his rhythm,
didn’t play at all Monday. Moody, the most dependable of the team’s
21-and-under club early on this season, played only nine minutes, his
shortest stint since opening night.

The margin of error is slim on a championship-contending team. And after
the Warriors stumbled through an 0-5 road trip, Kerr is seeking some
stability as he tries to improve the team’s course. Young players are
more likely to make mistakes and foul on defense. And with some of the
team’s established players, like Jordan Poole and Klay Thompson,
struggling with inconsistencies, the youngsters are walking on a
tightrope even more.

Kerr has turned to two-way players, Ty Jerome and Anthony Lamb, in the
last two games. Some questioned why the Warriors would play their
two-way guys over the team’s developmental projects. Kerr said it came
down to experience.

Jerome, 25, played three seasons at Virginia, and was a starter for the
2019 NCAA championship-winning squad before being drafted No. 24
overall. He’s played in 120 NBA games, including eight this season.
Lamb, 24, played four seasons at the University of Vermont and a
combined 72 games between the NBA and G League. Meanwhile, Moody spent
only one season at Arkansas before entering the draft, Wiseman played
only three games at Memphis and Kuminga played for the G League Ignite.

“The thought process is when you’re struggling and you don’t have a
rhythm and you don’t have consistency, veteran players are going to be
able to provide that more than young players are,” Kerr said. “And so Ty
and Anthony are both relatively young but… they’ve learned a lot more,
they’ve absorbed a lot more than our younger guys. And so they’re more
capable of allowing different groups to click.”

Moody on Wednesday said it’s difficult to navigate inconsistent playing
time.

“It’s not easy but at this point, I guess I do it,” he said. “It’s just
controlling what I can control. I don’t have much control over when I’m
playing… but when you get that opportunity, it’s important to be ready
for it when it comes.”

The Warriors are trying to keep a “big picture” approach to developing
their young guys while winning remains a top priority.

“While everyone wants instant gratification, it just doesn’t work that
way,” Kerr said.

“As we get going, and our vets, Klay, Jordan, really start to get in a
groove, I think it’ll be easier to find different combinations and blend
in some of our young guys,” Kerr continued. “But for right now, it’s
important that we try to establish some principles with our team and
veteran guys are more likely to be able to do that.”