Richard's breakout shattered Kerr's seniority-based hierarchy to pieces.

How difficult is it for the Warriors to get a win these days? They have suffered three losses in a row since Curry came back; neither Curry's solo brilliance nor Butler's individual efforts have been enough. Even after Kuminga was benched for three straight games and then reinstated, the Warriors still couldn't pull off a win.

Today, the Warriors managed to assemble every factor needed for victory: strong performances from their two stars, a surprise impact from the bench, a defensive resurgence, Draymond’s self-sacrifice, and a touch of luck, finally allowing them to get revenge on the Suns and halt their losing streak.

The game was quite a rollercoaster. In the first quarter, the Warriors gave up 44 points, getting shot apart by the Suns and falling behind by 12. The turning point came early in the second quarter when Curry made a three-point play, while Draymond shoved Gillespie and then taunted the referee, resulting in two technical fouls and ejection from the game.

Yesterday, Timberwolves coach Finch sacrificed himself and gained consistent officiating; today, Draymond voluntarily sacrificed himself, which helped improve the Warriors’ defense to some extent. After the game, Curry said, “I think it woke the whole team up because we knew without Draymond, we had to play tougher.”

So after giving up 44 points in the first quarter, the Warriors never allowed more than 29 points in any of the remaining three quarters. In a way, Draymond’s sacrifice also served as a test for himself.

Draymond’s significant decline this season is no secret. His footwork on defense lags, rebounding ability has dropped, and offensively he mostly relies on sneaky plays; his so-called playmaking role has become minimal. After he left the game, the Warriors showed more structure on both ends, which says a lot.

The biggest beneficiary after Draymond’s exit was rookie Richard from the Warriors’ bench. He played 9 minutes in the second quarter, going 3-for-3 with 9 points and 4 rebounds. In the third quarter, Richard hit two more three-pointers, finishing the first three quarters 6-for-6 with 20 points, becoming the game’s X-factor.

Curry and Butler played fairly normally today. Curry shot 10-of-19, including 4-of-11 from three, finishing with 28 points, 10 rebounds, and 6 assists. Butler has ramped up his offensive aggression since the last game, scoring 31 against the Suns previously and adding 25 points today.

Frankly, today’s Warriors showed their strongest form: both stars performing, all 12 players contributing in a deep rotation, and the emergence of a surprise weapon like Richard. Their defensive rotations in the second half were very solid, dominating the offensive rebounds and no longer relying on just one or two players to win, showcasing excellent team basketball.

Notably, Kerr not only benched Kuminga today but also rested Hield, who had played 195 consecutive games. Hield’s performance this season has been his worst career-wise, averaging 7.9 points and shooting 32% from three, both career lows.

Kerr benching Hield also means he has “temporarily” abandoned his seniority-based rotation philosophy. Can you imagine Richard, who scored 20 points today, hadn’t played a single minute in the three games since Curry returned? It’s not just Richard; Spencer, who performed well during Curry’s absence, has also been left out of the rotation in the last two games.

When asked about not playing Richard, Kerr explained: “Honestly, he’s on the bench because he’s still a rookie. I respect what the veterans have done over the years.”

This game wasn’t even Richard’s best performance this season. In early November, he went 10-for-15 with 5-of-8 from three, scoring 30 points. This 56th pick, who played four years in college, scored his first career 30 points in just his seventh NBA game.

Richard is lucky; as an older second-round pick, he got playing time early in the season. But after proving his readiness, he sat on the bench for several games due to the team’s seniority system. Only after the team’s three-game losing streak did Kerr bring him back into the rotation.

Kerr’s reliance on seniority isn’t new; the Warriors’ veteran legacy is well known. While sports inevitably involve politics, if playing time is decided solely by tenure, the team is bound to be left behind by the times.

The Warriors escaped tonight unscathed, but what lies ahead? No one can say for sure.