Many of us expected the Golden State Warriors to return this season in full gear. But unfortunately, after draft night, it was announced that Klay Thompson tore his Achilles. Once again, it was a huge blow for the team to lose one of its star players again. It has been a challenge for Steve Kerr as far as who to insert in the starting lineup alongside Stephen Curry and Draymond Green.
During the offseason, the Warriors were able to trade for forward Kelly Oubre Jr. With the way Oubre emerged last season for the Phoenix Suns, it was only a matter of time before he carried over his momentum to an unselfish Warriors organization. Well, at least we thought he would.
Through the first 16 games of the regular season, Oubre has started at the wing position alongside Andrew Wiggins. And it has not been an insightful thing to see.
Oubre’s perimeter shooting has been awful. According to Basketball-Reference, Oubre has shot 17 of 84 from three-point land to begin the season, and there has been no rhythm from the perimeter. The difficult issue is that when Oubre is not a force on offense, it allows him to become a liability on defense as well. If Oubre does not show improvements as the season progresses, then Steve Kerr must make the needed adjustment.
Now we go to Andrew Wiggins. A player who can often lack aggressiveness, this was the one player that many were concerned about in Golden State. Wiggins displays raw talent with his athleticism and skill set, but he has seemed to never take his game to the next level as an All-Star.
Although it has seemed as if Wiggins was going to have another disappointing season, he has certainly stepped up. Wiggins is averaging 17.4 points per game while shooting 46% from the field.
The good thing about playing in Golden State is that he does not have to be pressured to be an elite scorer on the offensive end. Playing alongside Stephen Curry has allowed Wiggins to utilize his true ability on both ends of the floor, which has allowed him to make big plays late in games. So if you ask me, Wiggins is a safe player in the starting unit for Golden State.
And at the center position, we have rookie sensation James Wiseman. Wiseman is a player that is projected to be the franchise cornerstone once Curry, Thompson, and Green call it quits. The big man shows a lot of versatility with phenomenal footwork and athleticism at the basket. So far this season, Wiseman has produced in a great manner. But he does have a lot to improve going forward.
Although Wiseman is giving great production, he also tends to be lost on the court. When plays are run, Wiseman is often in the wrong spots, which usually causes points off turnovers for the opposing team. The team tends to understand that Wiseman is, indeed, a rookie. His veteran leader Draymond Green allows him to understand what he is doing wrong and how he can become better at things. There may be rookie mistakes on the court, but James Wiseman’s presence under the basket is needed for this Golden State team.
So yes, Wiseman and Wiggins are the safe ones in the starting unit. But Oubre, on the other hand, must show more improvement before his starting role is revoked. One player that can be inserted in his spot is second-year player Eric Paschall. Paschall is a player who continues to emerge and is itching for a bigger role on the team. The more Oubre continues to struggle, the fewer minutes he will begin to see going forward.
Going forward, the projected lineup of the Warriors should be:
- Point Guard: Stephen Curry
- Shooting Guard: Kelly Oubre Jr./ Andrew Wiggins
- Small Forward: Andrew Wiggins/ Eric Paschall
- Power Forward: Draymond Green
- Center: James Wiseman
That rotation could help the Warriors get back on track.
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