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Ime Udoka pared down the Boston Celtics' rotation to seven players in Game 3, committing further to small ball and asking more of Robert Williams III while leaving Daniel Theis on the bench from the opening tip to the final buzzer. Steve Kerr, meanwhile, is still clearly searching for the Golden State Warriors' optimal lineup combinations and individual matchups as his team trails 2-1 in the NBA Finals.
Kevon Looney played only 17 minutes during a game the Warriors were absolutely dominated in the paint. Golden State had trouble containing the ball on the perimeter, too, but ace defender Gary Payton II was on the floor for just 11 minutes Thursday night. Nemanja Bjelica didn't get off the bench at all, even in garbage time, after an extremely brief two-and-a-half minute stint to open the second quarter.
Could rookies Jonathan Kuminga and Moses Moody be dusted off for Game 4 as the Warriors look to compensate for their obvious size and athleticism deficiencies? It certainly wouldn't surprise given their previous insertions into Golden State's rotation at various points of the playoffs, not to mention Kerr's affinity for pushing different buttons across his roster.
Not everyone agrees the Warriors need changes in wake of their 116-100 loss in Game 3, though. Klay Thompson, clearly, believes his team's relative struggles are more rooted in effort and execution than personnel:
Klay Thompson said he doesn't think the Warriors need to make lineup or rotation changes, but that "We just need to play better. Play harder. Play that Warriors brand of basketball and play with force."
— Keith Smith (@KeithSmithNBA) June 9, 2022
Thompson shook off his personal struggles on Wednesday night, dropping 25 points and five triples on 7-of-17 shooting from the field.
But he and fellow Splash Brother Steph Curry combining for 11 triples while regularly roasting Boston's drop coverage defensively wasn't enough for the Warriors to manage efficient offense. Even more of a warning sign? The other end of the court was definitely Golden State's biggest problem.
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The Warriors‘ much-improved depth helped drive a bounce-back regular season, but they still don't boast the quality “strength in numbers” they did at the infancy of this ongoing dynasty. Just because Kerr has many lineup options doesn't mean they're workable ones; his inability to decide on a rotation through three Finals games speaks to that dispiriting reality.
Still, don't be shocked if he brings Kuminga or Moody off the bench on Friday night, hoping their length, youth and athleticism affords Golden State some additional dynamism against the most physically imposing team in basketball.
Just playing better and harder is what will loom largest for the Warriors, of course, as Thompson suggests. But the margins matter more than ever with a championship on the line, especially in a Finals that could still go either way as a pivotal Game 4 approaches—one Thompson knows Golden State will be ready for, no matter who's on the floor:
Klay Thompson: "I think we'll come correct tomorrow."
— Keith Smith (@KeithSmithNBA) June 9, 2022
We'll see what happens in Game 4 on Friday.
