Kerr shares his plans for breakout guard Pat Spencer once Stephen Curry is back in the lineup.
The Golden State Warriors have been one of the most interesting stories in the NBA over the past week, and it has a lot to do with a player nobody saw coming.
Guard Pat Spencer has stepped into the spotlight while Stephen Curry has been sidelined with a quad injury, and now head coach Steve Kerr is making it clear that Spencer won't just fade into the background when the superstar returns.
Kerr Speaks on Spencer's Future Role
Kerr joined 95.7 The Game on Tuesday and was asked directly about what will happen to Spencer's minutes once Curry comes back on Friday against the Minnesota Timberwolves.
His answer left little doubt about where he stands.
"I can tell you that I'm definitely going to play him with Steph some and we'll see," Kerr said. "Some of it will depend on matchups… But the way Pat is playing, the way he's impacting winning, the way he's impacting the competitive spirit of the team. I have to keep playing him. We're winning, and he's a huge part of that."
It's high praise for a player on a two-way contract who wasn't expected to play a major role this season, but Spencer has earned every bit of it with his recent play.
Spencer Has Been Sensational in Curry's Absence
Since Curry went down with a left quad contusion against the Houston Rockets on November 26, Spencer has taken full advantage of his opportunity.
Over his last four games, the 29-year-old guard has averaged 16.0 points and 5.8 assists while shooting an incredible 59 percent from the field and 67 percent from three-point range.
His best performance came on Saturday against the Cleveland Cavaliers when he scored a career-high 19 points in his first career start, hitting 7-of-12 shots including 3-of-4 from deep.
He also added seven assists and four rebounds in the upset win over the Cavs, who entered the game with one of the best records in the league.
After the game, Kerr made his viral remarks calling Spencer "that m----- f-----," which showed just how much the guard has impressed the coaching staff.
Warriors Finding Their Identity at the Right Time
Golden State currently sits at 13-12 on the season and holds the eighth seed in the Western Conference.
The Warriors are 3-2 during Curry's absence, including back-to-back wins against Cleveland and Chicago to close out a three-game road trip.
Spencer started both of those games and helped the team find a new energy that had been missing at times earlier in the season.
The question now becomes how Kerr will balance his rotation once Curry returns.
Spencer is on a two-way deal and has already used 17 of his 50 available games this season, so the team will need to be careful about his workload moving forward.
Still, based on Kerr's comments, it sounds like Spencer has done more than enough to secure a spot in the rotation going forward.
The Warriors play Friday at home against Minnesota, and all eyes will be on how Kerr deploys his new weapon alongside his franchise cornerstone.