Why underperforming warriors need to change their starting lineupÂ
The Golden State Warriors’ unpredictable season has led to numerous starting lineup changes; head coach Steve Kerr’s most recent lineup included Andrew Wiggins, Jonathan Kuminga, Draymond Green, Stephen Curry, and Brandin Podziemski.
With a 5-3 record, this starting group has shown promise. But a deeper inspection reveals there’s more than meets the eye, and changes need to be done.
This past run of victories has come against either a team below.500 or a team without a starter. The weaknesses in this new starting lineup have been exposed in home defeats to the injury-ravaged Bulls and Knicks, as well as against top teams like the Nuggets.
When playing weak teams, Curry can cover up a lot of this lineup’s terrible spacing. But because he shares the floor with four very poor shooters, his looks have been quite challenging. For this reason, Klay Thompson needs to be added to the starting lineup in place of Podziemski.
Although Podziemski’s ability to charge and rebound is helpful, his offensive output does not warrant him to be a starter going forward. He has only averaged 7.6 points on 37.5% from the field in his last five outings.
Just by being there, Thompson would have opponents play honest with Curry, giving the superstar more opportunities to get clean shots. Although Thompson (17.2 PPG) has not played up to his usual level, he is shooting a solid 38.5% from three and has the force to draw two defenders, which opens up opportunities for his teammates.
The wear and tear Green sustains when playing the five is the most worrisome development with the current starting group. Green’s recent entries on the injury report serve as evidence of this.