The Golden State Warriors' 118-112 victory over the reigning NBA champions, the Boston Celtics, featured plenty of highlight plays. From Stephen Curry's daring drives to the basket to Buddy Hield's clutch triple that sealed the statement win for the Warriors, the night was filled with excitement and energy.
However, after the game, a play discussed often didn't even involve points for Golden State; instead, it was a blunder by the "Baby-Faced Assassin" that led to a three-pointer for Celtics star Jayson Tatum. The play was so frustrating that Warriors head coach Steve Kerr exasperatedly tugged at his silver hair and addressed Steph directly during the huddle.
While some superstars may take offense to their coach's critique, Curry thought nothing of it and agreed with Kerr's assessment.
Curry's approach to criticism helps set the tone
The play occurred late in the first half, with the Dubs clinging to a 38-34 lead after being down big in the first quarter. After corralling the rebound, Steph threw an outlet to a streaking Kyle Anderson that Celtics wingman Derrick White picked off. A few moments later, Tatum canned a triple to trim the Warriors lead to one.
Safe to say, Kerr was not pleased with the turnover and let Steph know about it during a timeout.
"The beauty with Steph is he lets me yell at him, which sets the tone for the rest of the team. It was a five-point swing. He accepted it. He knew it," he said when asked about the play in the postgame presser.
When the coach can ride his star player like that and still have the player respond positively, it sets a tone of accountability for the entire team. Steph's willingness to receive criticism and learn from it is crucial to his success as the Dubs' undisputed leader.
"It's a mindset that, one, I want to be coached just like everyone else," Curry shared in the locker room. "I don't get sensitive about getting yelled at if you make a dumb play. Especially because it led to a three on the other end. It's avoidable. We have to be able to take care of possessions."
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The margin for error is slim
Today's Warriors squad isn't the same juggernaut that it once was seven years ago when it had Klay Thompson, Kevin Durant, and Andre Iguodala. With those big-name stars on the team, the Dubs could afford to cough the ball up and still come out on top. But now, with a younger and less experienced team, the margin for error is much smaller. Every possession counts, and every mistake can be costly.
"We can't be the same team we were five or six years ago and give away five or six possessions in the name of creating chaos," Kerr stressed. "It's tough to win if you are giving away possessions. I've been all over Steph and Draymond. It's incumbent upon them because they are our leaders, and they're the guys who handle the ball most. They gotta cut back on their bad decisions like that."
Now holding a 7-1 record, the Warriors have shown they are capable of competing with the league's best. However, more tests loom on the horizon with games against the unbeaten Cleveland Cavaliers and the Oklahoma City Thunder.
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