Game 7 – the two most beautiful words in sports. It can either shatter a team’s championship dreams or put them on a historic path. And not many players have more experience of being in this situation than Jimmy Butler and Stephen Curry. During his illustrious career, Steph has played in five Game 7s and holds a 3-2 winning record. Jimmy is not too far behind, with a 2-2 record. So, they understand the pressure the Warriors will face tonight as they fight to save their season.
Of course, a lot will depend on the lineup Steve Kerr puts on the floor to start the game. On Friday, he took a massive risk by putting Gary Payton II in the starting lineup to replace Brandin Podziemski. And the decision backfired. For tonight, the head coach is keeping his options open, “We have to assess everything and lineup combinations, starters, all of that we have to assess.” Realizing the high stakes, basketball pundits believe Steph and Butler will play a massive role in Kerr’s final decision.
During the latest episode of the Warriors Plus Minus hosted by Tim Kawakami, Anthony Slater, and Marcus Thompson, one of the veteran insiders said, “I think that the veterans will be very much part of the decision-making process on what the rotation is gonna look like in Game 7.” Backing his claim, he revealed the details of a secret locker room meeting between the Warriors’ leaders: “You guys probably were in the locker room. Did you see it? We got down there. Jimmy Butler calls Draymond over. He was talking to Buddy, but he calls Draymond over. Clearly, he wanted to kind of talk more like leader to leader with Draymond.”
Yes, Jimmy and Draymond had a private conversation following Friday’s tough loss. “They were talking for maybe about 30 seconds. Draymond was like, ‘Hold on, come on.’ And he brought Jimmy over to an area of the locker room, not shown to us, like more of the trainer table,” the insider added.
Then, Steph also joined his two veteran teammates, “He called over Steph for like, it was more of a triangle conversation to the point of like, or I guess to your question, like they’re going to sign off on this rotation, whatever it is.”
The Big 3 were seemingly discussing the lineup that would be best suitable for Game 7. So, the insiders believe they will have a huge say in what happens tonight, “They’re going to have recommendation and they’re going to have like this and this and this.” Well, that could make Kerr’s task of picking his rotation easier, especially when he has other concerns to worry about.
Steve Kerr reveals biggest concern for Game 7 as he highlights Friday’s glaring issue
The Warriors have already blown two opportunities to close out this series. On Friday, they did a decent job for the majority of the game, as they trailed by only two points heading into the fourth quarter. Then, the Rockets pulled away in the final period as the big man duo of Steven Adams and Alperen Sengun exploited the Warriors’ lack of size.
Watching his team lose control of the game, Kerr was clearly not pleased, as he highlighted a glaring issue, “The second half, I thought we got a little scattered with our game, with our emotion. That’s the biggest thing… But the biggest thing is that we got out of sorts last night. We got too emotional.” Yes, the head coach believes Stephen Curry and Co. could not keep their emotions in check as the game slipped away.
Feb 5, 2025; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr watches his team from the sidelines during the second half against the Utah Jazz at Delta Center. Mandatory Credit: Chris Nicoll-Imagn Images
It became evident to Kerr during one particular play, “First play of the fourth quarter was indicative of letting our guard down a few times and that’s all it takes in a series like this. VanVleet gets the 4-point play, it goes from [a two-point lead] to six, and the whole nature of the game changes, and that’s based on just a missed matchup.”
So, Kerr fears the same issue could cause problems tonight, “So, that’s my biggest concern tomorrow is, just our overall emotional response to a night where we really weren’t ourselves.” Of course, this is where Draymond, Steph, and Jimmy’s experience will come in handy. Like true leaders, they can guide their squad through the emotional rollercoaster of Game 7 while keeping their focus clear. Looks like the fate of the Warriors’ season relies on their veteran leaders. Do you think they can get the job done?
The post Jimmy Butler & Stephen Curry’s Secret Locker Room Meeting Confirmed As Steve Kerr Deals With Big Concerns appeared first on EssentiallySports.