The question tossed toward Steve Kerr was one he's heard often from reporters and maybe even a few friends since training camp opened in September.
Which, distilled, is this: Your young centers are underwhelming. What do you think?
This time, late Saturday night in Detroit, coming off a loss to the Pistons, the Warriors coach was in no mood to be cordial. He replied by uttering several lines saturated in indignation.
“How many times have I been asked this question?” he said. “We have three young guys. They all play center. So I don’t know how many times I have to answer.
"They all give us a little something different. They’re all young. They’re all growing. We’re developing all of them. Haven’t we asked that question enough? I don’t know how many times I need to answer that.”
Was the question valid? Yes. It’s always valid to ask a coach to assess team performance. Was there any chance of getting a new answer? No. So, Kerr made an emphatic attempt to close an issue without variable answers.
It’s a question he has heard more than any other this season, but the No. 2 question on that list is equally valid but perhaps more subject to alternative responses: Are the Warriors shooting enough 3-pointers?
The short answer is, relatively speaking, no.
Just five times in 24 games have the Warriors taken more triples than their opponent. They rank 20th in the NBA in 3-point attempts, averaging 29.6 per game. They’re shooting 37.9 percent from deep, fifth in the league. The numbers indicate they could benefit from hoisting a few more, especially now that Stephen Curry is back in the lineup.
Kerr, who thus far has defended his team’s shot selection, seems to sense this. He's typically content with three “shooters,” defined as serious threats from deep, on the floor. On Saturday, for the third time this season -- and the only time with Curry in the starting lineup -- Kerr opened a game with four shooters.
In addition to Curry, Kevin Durant and Klay Thompson, Kerr inserted Jonas Jerebko at power forward. That sent Andre Iguodala to the bench and Durant back to his small forward spot.
The move failed not because there weren’t enough shooters but because there were too few shots. The Warriors took 10 3-pointers in the first half, 26 for the game.
[RELATED: What went right, what went wrong in Detroit]
Kerr later said he “did not like our offense,” and that he has to do a better job.
“We’ve got to get better shots,” he said. “We’ve got to get more spacing. We’ve got to get better flow. ’m just tired of seeing three people in the paint every time we’re penetrating. The paint is so bunched up.
“I’ve got to do a better job of finding combinations that work and find spacing that works. Because right now, what we’re seeing is not working.”
It’s logical to believe Kerr turned to Jerebko to achieve more spacing, therefore allowing more room for Curry and Durant, in particular, to penetrate. Jerebko, though, had the dual responsibilities of spreading the floor from the perimeter while also trying to rebound against a Pistons team that hogs the glass.
Jerebko ended not doing much of either, snagging four rebounds (his lowest total in eight games), scoring four points (and missing both 3-point shots). After a strong start, making 11 of his first 23 shots from deep, he is 12 of 44 over the last 15 games.
As sound as the concept was, the spacing was inadequate. So the offense wasn’t ready to do what it needed to take full advantage of the shooters. The vision of 3-balls dropping through the net never materialized; the Warriors made a total of six.
They should make more. They also have to find ways to shoot more.
“We’ve just got to watch film and see where we can create better opportunities for us to shoot 3s,” Durant said. “Sometimes our spacing is a little messed up, and that’s on the leaders of the team to get that in order. I don’t think Coach can correct that. That’s on us as leaders on the floor, to make sure the floor is balanced so we can have space and we can knock down 3s.”
The Warriors are as equipped as any team in the league to take advantage. Curry and Thompson always rank among league leaders in triples and attempts. Durant is a very good 3-point shooter. The same is true of Quinn Cook and Jerebko.
[RELATED: What the Warriors will do at center without Jones]
This is the era of 3-pointers, with the Warriors as trendsetters. They’ve fallen behind. Curry, for one, is ready to pick up the pace.
“We have capable shooters all around the floor,” he said. “Obviously between myself, Klay and KD, we want to be able to get some good looks throughout the course of the game. Jonas, when Draymond (Green) gets back. ... We’ve got some shooters.
“We’ve just got to be more decisive with the ball, try to keep things simple and let our talent take over.”
No argument here. And I wouldn’t expect one from the coaching staff, either.
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