Carrot Burke, NBC Sports Bay Area Steve Kerr explained.

The thing that sparked Steph Curry tonight was Steph Curry that you do this and I was wondering, Do you look at these preseason games as a tone setting opportunity?

And are you setting some personal benchmarks for yourself early in the season?

I really just, uh there's another game, an opportunity to get better.

And, you know, being off for so long, I would say, is kind of a vied with trying to prove anything to myself.

But you kind of want to just find your rhythm as fast as possible and treat this like a regular season game as much as possible, even though you know we're missing, Uh, you know, James and, um, on Draymond and our rotations are a little different than they're gonna be.

But personally, you can approach the game is if it's, you know, regular season situation and try to find your rhythm.

Um, since we've been off for so long, y'all sleepy.

I want to go to sleep.

I want to go to sleep to Steph.

Steve has labeled 34 minutes a Z, the target this year.

Are you going to try to push him at times to get over that 30 for every single game.

I think you're gonna succeed.

Probably not every single game.

How much I mean, you know.

How much do you think you'll you will need to try to nudge him up to 37 38 if it's a close game.

Uh, this season, it's hard to say.

Obviously, if we get it going, my normal rotation is trying to play the whole first quarter and then see where the second quarter makes sense to come back in the third quarter the same.

Hopefully I stay out of foul trouble so that I can play my normal normal stretches.

But I'm not.

I've been through this.

I know it's a long season and you can't be a superhero right away.

But, um, you know, we tryto understand what the situation is and respond accordingly.

But be smart at the same time again because, you know, we have been offered so long and you know you don't want a situation where anybody is put in a position, uh, to fail in terms of kind of over exerting yourself.

So it's about being smart and having that conversation.

I'm definitely gonna, you know, being his ear.

And Mike Brown has that sheet that he's he loves, um, to know who's coming in, who is coming out?

Um, yeah.

Raymond just showed it to me, so I know.

I know.

What it iss Hi.

Staff Carlos Ramirez, NBC Bay Area and Telemundo.

We've seen an uptick on his own defense.

Um, year after year, last year to this year.

Do you think that's something that fits this team?

I'll explain.

Explain his own defense.

Yeah.

I mean, it just gives you a different look.

It's weird.

You know, even when I first came in back in 09 like the first three or four years, you never really saw it.

Um, And then when you start to see different combination of of, like, size guys, you know how much three point shooting there is now the zone kind of came back as a way to just give it a different look.

Um, tonight I think we played a couple of times.

Sacramento played it a lot for us.

Defensively, it's just a change of speed.

Hopefully keep the offense on their heels.

I don't think we'll play a majority of the time, we won't be playing zone, but it is nice to have it as a second option.

Um, I mean, there's honestly, not a lot of teams practice zone offense.

So kind of one of those things on Steve said he didn't like the first half defense you guys showed.

Is that something that just get fixed by plugging dream on in?

I mean, that helps, Um, yeah, in terms of his, you know his approach to that in the floor, him being vocal.

But we obviously everybody else has to do their job to make sure he's in position to take us, you know, to a whole another level.

So, um, he is the glue.

He is the quarterback.

He's the defensive coordinator.

He's everything.

So, um, you know, we all have to be in sync and five guys on a string and then, hey, makes us amazing defense.

Hey, staff, You're entering your seventh season in the league under occur.

I'm curious.

What was your first impression of him?

And how is your relationship grown through all the ups and downs And how is he guided you guys and you specifically through everything?

Um I mean, we knew it was a ah, pivotal point in our organization in terms of coming off three years of Mark Jackson and what he meant Thio my success and my confidence in the league.

Um, and in that first year was obviously an amazing journey.

Um, you know, winning the championship.

Hey, hasn't changed at all.

Even through the physical stuff that he's been through, Um, you know, with him being in and out of, you know, his seat.

Um, he's always approached the the role of coaching this team with transparency and communication and managing people and understanding that it does take, you know, one through 15 Thio do anything special.

Um, and he's been very consistent on that.

So for me is, you know, you know, the PG and the extension of him on the court.

I think we have a really good relationship, good chemistry, um, able to make adjustments on the fly and have those conversations.

And hopefully this year will be more of the same.

What would you say is the biggest thing that you've learned from him?

Um I mean, I don't think I learned any in terms of what I'm about to say, I don't think I learned this, but it's more than perspective appreciation of what we get to do for a living every single day.

Um, we haven't lost that.

No matter how successful have been I mean championships, we want I mean, we've lost hey always keeps the right perspective around.

You know, the MBA is a blessing, and the ability to play basketball on being our our world is an amazing experience.

And, um, that's refreshing to know, like we all have lives off the court as well.

So he appreciates and values that and what we all bring in our own stories.

But, um, it makes you appreciate the opportunity to play the game.

And I know that now your coach, that's kind of same monster.

So if we haven't talked its's James's first practice yesterday, what do you think of your first time on the court with him?

Hey, has I've said everything I said before washing him, you know, in practice kind of remains true.

He's got extremely high ceiling.

He made his presence felt, you know, in our short, little our, uh, window of practice and just excited for him.

Thio gets, um reps and being in that game like situation atmosphere so his energy was crazy was like letting you know puppy out the cage.

He was all over the place, full of energy and full of excitement.

Thio toe learn.

He's asking questions.

The mistakes that he made were on Lee because he was trying too hard, so that that that helps in terms of trying to bring him along pretty quickly that but I can't.

Bazemore has talked a little bit about how this past year was tough for him personally, Um, but that coming to Golden State has helped him get back into a good mindset.

Have you noticed that?

And what is what has it been like having him back on the team?

It means a lot of have their familiarity with organization just personally.

What he what he's about, You know, he has been through a lot, a lot of ups and downs, Um, you know, changing the scenery.

But he brings such a professional approach and positive attitude to pretty much everything, and so he's great in the locker room.

He's great for the young guys.

Toe be around him, you know he works.

Um Hey, takes, You know, his his approach to the game seriously, so excited that he has an opportunity to really impact our team.

You know, being anchor of that second unit and and give us an edge on that front.

Some leadership, you know, He's made his presence felt, you know, really quickly.

Do you see yourself using the jumper more this year?

Since they're trying to chase you off the three line and they're probably waiting for you at the rim.

I thought tonight you got going with the mid range jumper on your first shot.

You think that's something you pull out more this year?

I think the approach is to take what defense gives gives me no matter what the situation is, I wouldn't, you know, being able to get to the basket, obviously a threat from the from the behind the line.

Um, you have to have all of that, but trying to make the game as easy as possible.

Um, you know, if they're playing aggressively and trying to take me off the line and, you know, send it helped at the rim, that is a shot you gotta be able to take and shoot with confidence.

Um, but it's really not choreographs.

It's just make make things a simple and easy as possible knowing, you know, you will see a lot of attention, a lot of bodies.

And, um, I don't think any of us any of those air bad shots just gotta be decisive.

So you're not really like a boat to it, are you?

Like you're not one of people like three or layup right e I can get my Rip Hamilton on every once in a while.

It Jason Koumas Crime four.

Ah, lot has been made about your guys depths this year.

And you saw tonight the bench got you guys back in the game.

Nico, Damien, um can all making plays.

Do you think that could be a area of strength for you guys this year?

I mean, it has to be.

We have to have versatility to throw out a couple of different lineups, and for a second you have to have an identity of how they're going to impact the game.

So, um, you know, there's a lot of opportunity there.

You got JPs playing playing amazing deles, coming off the bench, making his presence felt like you said Kent Knee goes new on the on the job and has a chance.

Thio make make strides.

We got the ultimate professional and Brad.

So, um, you know a lot of guys that are hungry toe, you know, make impact and give us something off the bench and and for that again that second, you have to have an identity about how they go about their business.

So they're going to continue to get better as we go.

But it's nice to see guys playing with confidence.

What impressed you most about word games so far in the first two president in games?

I think just the energy and excitement were playing with because I think we're all excited to be back.

I mean, it's been a long time, so I don't wanna kind of over analyze the game right now because we literally have had five group practices, I think and in two games, so we're always gonna have Thio kind of judge day by day, how we're getting better way.

Haven't even dips into, like, our fourth offensive place that yeah play call yet, so it's kinda just piecing it together.

But the energy that were playing with the excitement, the commitment Thio, you know, just compete.

I think that's that's great to see.

And guys are Are you all bought in?

So to start there and no, we can always get better over the course of the season.

That's the goal.

And do you believe that your team is on the right way about the tip of the season?

Yeah, we're excited.

We got one more preseason game and then you know we'll get a cracking next next Tuesday or whatever.

It is so excited.

Basketball is back.

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