Steve Kerr Sends Strong Message With Warriors’ Starting Five
The Golden State Warriors opened preseason play on Sunday night with a familiar matchup — hosting the Los Angeles Lakers at Chase Center. The stars might have been in street clothes — no
The Warriors walked away with a 111-103 win, and while preseason results rarely matter, this one offered real glimpses of what’s ahead — from
Steve Kerr Explains His Lineup Decision
GettyGolden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr (left) and superstar point guard Stephen Curry (right).
After the game, Steve Kerr broke down why he went with his specific starting five: Stephen Curry, Brandin Podziemski, Moody, Jimmy Butler, and Draymond Green.
It’s the same group that went 16-3 down the stretch last season — a unit that found rhythm and spacing together. But Kerr made it clear this isn’t a permanent shift toward Green logging heavy minutes at center.
“It doesn’t mean Draymond is going to be logging heavy minutes at the five,” Kerr told reporters via Anthony Slater. “We came off the bench with three centers tonight. So, if we start that way, it still allows Draymond to get off the big, hulking centers as the game goes on.”
Steve Kerr started small tonight and says he wants to play that Steph/Podziemski/Moody/Butler/Draymond lineup because of its past success.
“It doesn’t mean Draymond is going to be logging heavy minutes at the five.”
pic.twitter.com/JqNkZlZSEc— Anthony Slater (@anthonyVslater) October 6, 2025
Why It Matters for the Warriors
Even with Green anchoring small-ball units over the years, Kerr is adapting. The Warriors can’t lean on that lineup for 82 games anymore — not with Green at 35, not with a frontcourt that now features real size.
Adding Horford gives Kerr flexibility. The veteran big can space the floor, direct traffic defensively, and let Green roam as a help defender instead of absorbing punishment at the rim. It’s the kind of stabilizing frontcourt balance Golden State lacked a year ago.
Then there’s Quinten Post, who hit 40.8 percent from deep last season, and Trayce Jackson-Davis, who’s quietly emerging as a rotation piece. Those additions mean Kerr has options — and depth — that can keep the
Draymond Green’s Fit and the Bigger Picture
The Warriors have long leaned on Green as a small-ball center, but even Kerr knows that can’t be the plan every night anymore. The 35-year-old remains the team’s emotional anchor, but Golden State now has the depth to manage his workload more carefully.
With veterans like Horford and young bigs such as Post and Jackson-Davis available, Kerr has more flexibility than he’s had in years. It’s about finding the right balance — keeping Green fresh for the moments that matter most.
This preseason isn’t about reinventing the Warriors, just refining them. And for Kerr, that starts with making sure his best defender is still at his best when the real games begin.
Browns DE Myles Garrett Sends Clear Message to Teammates on 1-4 start
The Cleveland Browns dropped to 1-4 with a loss to the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday in London, but Myles Garrett doesn’t feel like the season is a lost cause just yet.
The Browns were stunned late against the Vikings when Jordan Addison caught a 12-yard touchdown pass with just 25 seconds remaining. After the game, Garrett provided a message for the team to rally behind as they prepare for their next one.
“Always confident that you can bring it back,” Garrett said. “You don’t look too far ahead or look behind you, you just have to look at the next opponent and figure out how you can win that one.”
Garrett demanded a trade during the offseason, saying he wanted to play for a contender. However, he signed a four-year extension, opting to stay. Garrett had three tackles and no sacks against the
The percentage of teams that make the postseason after a 1-4 start is slim. However, the AFC North is fairly wide open. Cleveland just needs to turn things around quickly, which starts next week against the
Browns Defense Takes Blame for Loss
The Browns‘ defense allowed the Vikings and quarterback Carson Wentz to rack up 349 total yards. Pro Bowl cornerback Denzel Ward took the blame for Addison’s late touchdown grab.
“Yeah, we were in cover 2 and I’ve got to reroute the guy inside and not put it so wide for the safety,” Ward said. “So I take full accountability for that. And yeah, just got to finish and execute better once it gets down to the last seconds.”
Fellow Browns cornerback Greg Newsome also put the blame on the defense for the loss — something that couldn’t be said earlier this season.
“That’s on us as a defense,” Newsome said. “We got the lead, last drive, that’s what we asked for and we didn’t hold up our end of the bargain. So definitely sucks to play such a good game to not finish it at the end.
“It’s on us. Like I said, we had a lot of plays out there that we should have made that we didn’t make and we gave them one. So we’ve got to find a way to close that football game.”
Browns QB Dillon Gabriel Sharp in Debut
The Browns wanted a spark when they decided to replace quarterback Joe Flacco with rookie Dillon Gabriel. And the rookie did just that against the
“So much potential,” Browns tight end David Njoku said. “You know what I mean? He can build off this. He can be a great one. He’s just gotta work one day at a time. Obviously, Dillon’s young. He’s 20 years younger than Joe Flacco. He can run a lot more. You saw his legs and his athleticism a little bit today. I’m sure he can build off that.”
It was a step in the right direction but far from perfect. Cleveland was just 3-of-15 on third downs in the matchup.
“We just got to convert,” Gabriel said. “You look back, there’s obvious times you’ve got to go make it happen. It starts with me but us coming together collectively to go make that happen. But you look at a lot of the third downs to extend drives, that’s where we can continue to help ourselves.”
