What a difference 48 minutes of basketball can make.
Before the Warriors were dominated by the Utah Jazz by a final score of 127-108, coach Steve Kerr said he didn’t see himself changing the starting lineup, which has been the worst high-usage group in the NBA.
After the game, however, his tune changed. He said there is “no doubt” he and his staff must “assess everything.” His quote below, courtesy of Drew Shiller of NBC Sports, was a direct response to a question about the starting lineup.
According to Anthony Slater of The Athletic, the Warriors starters are minus-73 in 161 minutes played. Furthermore, reporters asked Kerr about superstar Steph Curry’s low usage rate with the starting group. Part of the concern with the starters is that the new group, mostly Kelly Oubre, Jr., doesn’t quite know how to play alongside the unique superstar.
The most obvious idea for a change is to place Oubre on the bench in favor of a player who can shoot and knows how to play two-guard next to Curry, and that’s Damion Lee. I’m not the only one to raise the idea, but I do think I was one of the first. Read about why it’s a good idea, here. Another option is to use he lineup that had success against the Lakers.
But with their record at 8-8 and two games against the struggling Timberwolves on deck, Golden State has to play better, both on defense and on offense, regardless of who’s on the floor. And the starting lineup can’t fall behind 14 quick points as it did Saturday in Utah. We’ll see if Kerr changes anything in time for Monday’s tip-off. According to Connor Letourneau of the SF Chronicle, the coach has run out of patience.
BONUS COVEAGE: Here’s what Steph Curry and Draymond Green had to say, in part, after the loss, thanks to Shiller and The Athletic’s Anthony Slater.
And from Curry:
Aaaaand the last word goes to Green.
(Photo credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports)
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