Steve Kerr rips Brandin Podziemski after late mistakes doom the Warriors in Denver

DENVER – Steve Kerr spent the immediate moments after the Golden State Warriors’ loss to the Denver Nuggets on Tuesday night chasing down official Tyler Ford, cheering on Ford’s entire squad at a critical moment for what he believed was a blatant missed call.

With four seconds left, Nuggets guard Christian Braun dove to the ground for a loose rebound and signaled a timeout after blocking the ball. Denver didn’t have a timeout, which should have triggered a technical foul and a free throw. Assuming Stephen Curry made the free throw, Golden State would have had the ball by three points with about 3.5 seconds left.

“Everyone saw it except the three guys we hired for the game,” Kerr said.

The referees sounded the timeout signal without a whistle and allowed the clock to continue running until Andrew Wiggins scored the equalizer with 1.2 seconds left. The ensuing jump ball was useless. The Warriors fell 119-115, their fifth straight loss that sends them to next week’s NBA Cup quarterfinals in Houston (instead of home to the Dallas Mavericks). It also landed Kerr in a lively postgame session with reporters.

Steve Kerr was extremely upset that the officials didn’t give the Nuggets a late technical when Christian Braun tried to call a timeout (and the Nuggets didn’t have one).

Full comment on this no call and loss pic.twitter.com/1AYDPJbRfx

— Anthony Slater (@anthonyVslater) December 4, 2024

After blaming the referees for the mistake, Kerr shifted the blame for another collapse late in the game onto his team. The Warriors trailed after a Curry layup with 2:32 left, but watched as the Nuggets overturned the score with an 11-0 run, a fifth straight narrow loss that broke the Warriors’ record of 12-3 reduced to 12:8.

“I think we’re trying too hard,” Kerr said. “The boys are shutting down without realizing what is going to happen. We can’t send a team to the starting line 35 times and expect them to win a game. This league is unforgiving. If you believe you’re going to end up on a highlight reel and show everyone what a special play you can make, there will be sales. We have to meet singles. We have to make simple decisions.”

Kerr was particularly critical of second-year guard Brandin Podziemski.

In the short and long term, the organization remains high on its most recent first-round pick. He exploded onto the scene as a rookie, working his way into a high-stakes, high-impact role ahead of Klay Thompson, thanks to, among other things, his quick passing, movement and decision-making, big rebound numbers, team defense, and scoring ability with his backup players. He led the team in plus-minus last season.

But while he tried to improve his offensive game to meet rising expectations, Podziemski began his sophomore season with a deep shooting slump that affected other aspects of his game. Draymond Green revealed the dynamics at play last week. Podziemski shot it and has played a little better since then. Kerr installed him as the starting shooting guard alongside Curry and said the plan was to keep him there.

But Podziemski is still 21, and the growing pains that come with that were evident against the Nuggets.

Kerr identified a specific sequence late in the second quarter and called Podziemski’s decision to attempt a fast-break alley-oop “frankly crazy.” The Warriors had a lead of 10 and were in complete control. Podziemski had just made a steal after a failed attack by Nikola Jokić and pushed it up front with a numerical advantage.

A simple early pass to Trayce Jackson-Davis was available to his left as he crossed the half of the field. It probably would have resulted in a dunk. But instead he entered the lane and attempted a lob that was intercepted and converted into a layup by Jokić at the other end. Any four-point swing like this is huge in a close game.

“Five against four,” Kerr said. “Keep hitting singles. Throw the ball to the open guy. He had the same play last week against Brooklyn when he tried to throw a lob over his shoulder. He can’t be that guy.”

The Warriors give up a great deal of offensive control to Podziemski. With De’Anthony Melton out for the season, Podziemski is both the starting shooting guard and backup point guard. Kerr changed Curry’s rotation on Tuesday night, putting him in a stagger with Podziemski, meaning Podziemski was leading the team at a critical point in the fourth quarter when Curry snuck off the court for his final rest.

With the Warriors trying to protect a nine-point lead, Podziemski tried this whip pass to the opposite corner that flew into the crowd.

Kerr’s frustration with Podziemski continued early in the third quarter. He pushed too high on a 3-point attempt by Michael Porter Jr. and tapped him on the arm, prompting a whistle. Podziemski tried to point out that he hadn’t committed a foul, but when Kerr pressed him to answer whether the foul would be reversed if fouled, he admitted he had.

“He can’t hinder jump shooters,” Kerr said.

Kerr then spent about 45 seconds while Porter shot the free throws at Podziemski near the sideline.

“He made me want to do my job and know what I was doing out there,” Podziemski said. “He says, ‘If you can’t do your job, I’ll pull you out.'”

Brandin Podziemski on his interaction with Steve Kerr after one of his 3-point fouls

“He made me want to do my job and know what I was doing out there. He says, ‘If you can’t do your job, I’ll pull you out.'” pic.twitter.com/KVQKTcL4Gg

— Anthony Slater (@anthonyVslater) December 4, 2024

On his last two possessions to keep the Warriors stable while Curry was given a short break, Podziemski made two more errors, as Curry and Kerr noted after the game. Curry mentioned Podziemski’s decision to step back with 5:14 left rather than “chase the mismatch” and let Andrew Wiggins operate on Jokić.

Things got worse just moments later when Podziemski charged into Porter and fouled him on another three-pointer. Porter made a four-point play that gave the Nuggets life.

Podziemski did well against the Nuggets. He had 13 points, four rebounds, four assists and two steals. But the mistakes were blatant and damaging enough that his coach then publicly confronted him.

“I love Brandin,” Kerr said. “A great player. He has a hellish future ahead of him. But I hope he watches this clip because he needs to hear it. He must be a smart, tough and great decision maker. He is very capable of it. That’s his next step.”

Podziemski said: “He got on my nerves a bit. Which I’m full of. I’m trying to get better. He knows he can lash out at me and I won’t react emotionally. I’m going to go out there and hoop.”

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(Photo: David Zalubowski / AP)