It has been a great first week in the Bay Area as the Golden State Warriors are 4-1 after five games. The Warriors' starters have dominated with a three-headed monster that includes Jimmy Butler, Draymond Green, and Jonathan Kuminga alongside Stephen Curry. ESPN Warriors beat writer Anthony Slater emphasized the pure dominance when all three are on the court.
“The Jimmy Butler, Draymond Green, and Jonathan Kuminga three-man lineup combination is a +37 in 74 minutes,” Slater wrote on X. “It's a trio the Warriors staff had been hesitant to use entering the season.”
This is a pleasant surprise after all the Kuminga drama in the offseason, plus a limited usage of this trio last season. They were a minus-10 together in 67 playoff minutes and didn't all share the court in the regular season.
When the season began, coach Steve Kerr only had three permanent starters in his rotation, with the other two being based on the matchup. Essentially, the idea was a three-man starting lineup that featured Butler, Green, and Stephen Curry. After starting the preseason coming off the bench, Kuminga has brought his best and earned his way into the starting lineup.
While Green likely will not play center for the whole season, the rotation is working right now. It started in the opening game, when the Warriors dominated the Los Angeles Lakers, 129-119. Butler led the way with 31 points while shooting 7-for-14. Additionally, Kuminga added 17 points while shooting 6-for-11. Green showed his impact, adding eight points with seven rebounds and nine assists while also blocking two shots. Butler and Green both had a +20, while Kuminga had a +4 for this game.
The trend continued against the Denver Nuggets, with Butler having 21 points, Kuminga adding 14, and Green finishing with 13 with eight rebounds and eight assists. Once again, all three players finished with net positives while on the court. Kumiga led the Warriors with 25 points in the 131-118 win over the Memphis Grizzlies, while Butler added 20. Green was once again efficient, with seven points and 10 rebounds.
Despite there being potential concerns about spacing with all three on the court at the same time, the rotation has worked and has put the Warriors in first place this early in the season. The three will get another chance to do more as the Warriors travel to Wisconsin to play the Milwaukee Bucks on Thursday.
