Warriors face decision on mixing up rotation
Golden State’s starting unit has been outscored by a troubling total of 73points so far this season.
The Warriors are aware of the numbers. Night after night, the starting lineup gets out-scored and puts the team into an early hole. Golden State has so far tried to take the long view. That may have to change.
Including a 12-point deficit to start Saturday’s 127-108 loss to the Jazz in Utah, this Warriors starting unit has been outscored by a total of 73 points this season.
Put simply, this is a problem. “Work in progress obviously,” said Stephen Curry of the starting lineup, which consists of him, Kelly Oubre Jr., Andrew Wiggins, Draymond Green and James Wiseman. “The numbers aren’t great. Just trying to figure it out.”
Over the last few weeks, head coach Steve Kerr has remained steadfast in his approach, reasoning that the starting lineup needs time to jell if Golden State is going to reach its ceiling as a playoff team with a top-10 defense.
But Kerr has also said that rotations remain fluid, He has marked the 20-game point (this Saturday vs. Detroit) as a time when he could consider more dramatic changes. However, after two bad losses by a combined 34 points, the Warriors could determine changes are needed now.
“We’ve got to assess everything,” Kerr said. “As a staff, as an organization, how we’re looking at the season, what our goals are. Everything is up for adjustments.”
Digging into the numbers, it’s clear that Wiseman, the 19-yearold rookie still on the steepest part of his learning curve, is the biggest swing factor. Swap Wiseman out for the more experienced Kevon Looney, and that lineup is plus-28 in 26 minutes. A small sample size, but it makes sense why they have been more effective. Looney is a savvy defender and elite screen-setter who has timing and chemistry with Curry.
But will Kerr and his staff decide to sacrifice some of Wiseman’s early development to win games now?