Warriors coach Steve Kerr promised lineup changes before Wednesday’s game at San Antonio and then unveiled a starting five that didn’t include Jonathan Kuminga, writes Sam Gordon of The San Francisco Chronicle.
Kuminga had started the first 12 games of the season, and Kerr said two weeks ago that he had earned a full-time starting role. Golden State’s recent struggles changed his mind, as the team had dropped five of its last seven and was on a six-game road losing streak before beating the Spurs tonight. The Warriors have four more games left on their current trip, with a rematch in San Antonio on Friday followed by stops in New Orleans, Orlando and Miami.
“It’s very clear that we’ve been a little clunky recently,” Kerr said during his pre-game press conference. “I obviously watch everything and look at all the lineup data. … There’s times in the season where it’s obvious you’ve got to make some changes.”
Kerr replaced Kuminga with rookie shooting guard Will Richard, using a small-ball starting lineup that also included Stephen Curry, Draymond Green, Jimmy Butler and Moses Moody. It’s the second career start for Richard, who had made 10 appearances coming into tonight and was averaging 10 points per game while shooting 58.6% from the field and 43.8% from three-point range.
Green spoke out about “personal agendas” following Tuesday’s 24-point loss in Oklahoma City and suggested that it doesn’t feel like everyone is committed to winning. He didn’t mention anyone by name, but it’s easy to interpret his comments as a swipe at Kuminga, whose summer-long contract standoff with the team included a desire for more consistent playing time and a larger role in the offense.
Gordon points out that Kuminga has done fine as a starter, averaging 14.9 points and a team-high 6.8 rebounds per game while connecting at 48.9% from the field and 33.3% from beyond the arc. The Warriors’ two main starting lineups that feature Kuminga and Curry have both won their minutes, Gordon adds. They’re plus-10.8 points per 100 possessions when teaming with Butler, Green and Brandin Podziemski and plus-13.7 when paired with Butler, Green and Quinten Post.
Kerr also told reporters that his lineup change shouldn’t be viewed as a way of blaming anyone for the rocky start.
“It’s never any one individual’s fault,” he said. “It’s all about the team and how we can get the best out of everyone individually so that the collective is stronger.”
Another idiotic starting lineup with 3 guards that put up 14 points in the first quarter. Moody is a strict 2, he is the next Klay, he is 3 and D exactly like Klay was. Kerr plays him at the 3 and he clearly has no idea what to do there. Put him next to Steph in the Klay role and this team is going places.
Insane win by GSW vs Wemby, everyone who called Steph washed: delete your account. You aren’t needed around here. Never count Steph out. Also: haven’t we all been through this enough to understand Steph does this -every- damn year?? He opens great, then becomes inconsistent, then goes into a shooting slump and will lose 3-5 games a year all by himself by shooting 4-18 or the like. Then he comes good and wins like 40+ games by shooting 40+%. Happens every year. Will happen this one too. This is the “inconsistent” stage. He will then play really bad in December, then go nuts in January. Like clockwork.
Why does everyone act like its over for him, when tonight’s game showed he clearly is in his prime?
Draymond with the 10 fouls+turnovers and shot 1-10 from the field…but with a +15 and locked Wemby. Makes no sense. Draymond isn’t even washed, he is more of himself than ever.
Podz was absolutely brutal and again played 29 minutes. Payton gets clutch 4Q minutes, but why? Curry wins games despite being handicapped by these terrible lineups, always been like this. Imagine if Kerr actually wanted to win every game? He could. He doesn’t. On purpose. These lineups are utter nonsense and play zero defense and get destroyed. IMO this is because Kerr is trying to lose games on purpose, due to gambling and likely mob issues (remember how Kerr’s dad was assassinated? a country’s mob likely is forcing him to do these nonsense games).
How they spending on a bench warming bum?
they didn’t need him tonight. Not sure if his injury on the knee is worse than he is letting on but the past 4 games he has not looked himself not driving to the basket.
He is who exactly where we said who he was during the offseason. He is not a $30 million player. He is capable of some really good But he won’t be consistent in he’ll regress. He is the perfect 6 man. He will look even worse in the playoffs when teams are really just scouting you out and game planning for you each and every game. He is a NBA player and a decent player but trying to make him a 3rd or 4th option is idiotic at this point there’s enough film and anybody still arguing that or won’t admit they were wrong during the off-season really doesn’t know basketball or watching like we are