Kerr addresses whether he's thought about starting JP over Klay originally appeared on NBC Sports Bayarea
Jordan Poole led the way in the Warriors' 132-95 win over the San Antonio Spurs on Monday at Chase Center and looked comfortable playing with the starters.
However, despite noticing that the game looked "easier" for the 23-year-old when he starts, Warriors coach Steve Kerr hasn't pondered the idea of moving Poole into the starting unit.
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"No, it's not something I'm thinking about," Kerr told reporters postgame. "Our starting five with Klay [Thompson] has been really, really good this year."
Sliding into the starting lineup as Thompson's replacement on Monday, Poole scored a season-high 36 points -- on an impressive 13-of-20 shooting from the field and 5-of-10 from 3-point land -- in his third start of the season.
Poole also chipped in two rebounds, two assists, three steals and a block in 29 minutes in an all-around effort from the guard.
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That said, Kerr has a point regarding the Warriors' usual starting five.
The combination of Steph Curry, Thompson, Andrew Wiggins, Draymond Green and Kevon Looney consistently has been ranked among the NBA's best, despite Golden State's mediocre record early in the 2022-23 NBA season.
While the Warriors' starting five have excelled, it's the unit that comes in after them that has been a cause of concern for Kerr and the coaching staff.
"I think the bigger thing is finding the right combinations off the bench," Kerr concluded.
As it stands, though the Warriors have gotten a boost with Donte DiVincenzo's return, most of the minutes off the bench have been in flux, save for Poole's.
Golden State's young players need more polishing and have yet to show that they can be relied upon to shoulder heavy minutes, as evidenced by James Wiseman being sent to the Santa Cruz Warriors immediately after the game.
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It appears that these are the kind of games Poole needs to break out of his early-season funk, as Curry and Kerr have predicted.
Warriors fans are hoping that the young guard can keep that momentum going when he returns to the bench.
