Steve Kerr’s Demands Could Force Major Change in Stephen Curry as Warriors Star’s Unfamiliar Side Surfaces vs Rockets

The Houston Rockets came within striking distance of coming back from a 23-point deficit on their home floor. But just when it seemed the Golden State Warriors would stumble, they found their defensive footing. They forced six turnovers in the final six minutes, securing a pivotal victory on the road in Game 1. And the win gave Steve Kerr some assurance. But for Stephen Curry, that might mean him having to restructure his game.

After the highly taxing matchup, the Warriors head coach emphasized one thing that could help the Warriors win this series. It’s playing “clean” basketball. “We need to be clean with our execution and transition. We don’t need to dribble through traffic, we don’t need to throw lob passes to try to get a dunk,” Kerr said after the game.

Stephen Curry largely feeds off momentum. Stringing together breathtaking possessions is how he demoralizes opponents. But the Rockets aren’t just a compact defensive unit. They have the ability to create possessions, leading the regular season in offensive rebounding by a mile. Hence, even a single slip-up could amount to a window of opportunity for Houston.

This could potentially limit the things Curry generally does. How many times has he bailed the Warriors out of trouble with a sumptuous dribble? But in order to win, adjustments are necessary. Just to put the threat into perspective, the Warriors did a great job of keeping their turnovers to 11, but the Rockets still generated 23 points from them.

Against a team that thrives off playing with physicality and persistent energy, the Bay will have to be near perfect. That game plan hit home today. And despite Stephen Curry not unleashing his flair, the Chef did the cooking.

We’re still trying to figure out how Steph got this to fall #PhantomCam https://t.co/MYpH5jeMAy pic.twitter.com/LNpBGpyZRw

— NBA (@NBA) April 21, 2025

In his first postseason game of the season, Curry logged in 31 points while shooting an impressive 63.2% from the field. This ability to blend his shooting prowess with the game plan is how the two-time MVP looked unfazed by Houston’s intensity. Not only that, but his flair didn’t extinguish either.

There is still room for his imperious threes as he did in the third quarter. But in order to crack the code, Curry will need to stray away from his natural game. But Steve Kerr also has ultra confidence in his ace’s ability. When Stephen Curry gets going, he becomes the game plan. So don’t be surprised if in one of the games, Kerr does allow the Baby Face Assassin to be himself.

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