The Golden State Warriors' much-needed starting lineup change didn't lead to a win on Thursday. The Dubs fell 121-113 to the surging Los Angeles Clippers, porous point-of-attack defense and Stephen Curry's second straight off night dooming them to a seventh consecutive road loss.
Still, Golden State will return home from a winless three-game road trip with some much-needed optimism in wake of Draymond Green's indefinite suspension. Why? Putting Brandin Podziemski and Jonathan Kuminga on the floor for tipoff clearly gave the Warriors a jolt on both ends, one Steve Kerr believes could persist as his team's new starting lineup gets more comfortable going forward.
“It felt like we needed a shift,” Kerr said of the lineup changes after the game, per Anthony Slater of The Athletic. “I feel like Brandin gives us the extra playmaker on the floor in the starting lineup. Obviously he's a great rebounder, competes, excellent defender. And then JK deserves the minutes, and with Draymond out, it's a perfect time for him to step in. It feels like a group that can really connect.”
Kerr went on to say Curry, Podziemski, Thompson, Kuminga and Kevon Looney would start “the next few games.”
Warriors' revamped rotation provides much-needed silver lining
Andrew Wiggins came off the bench for Golden State against LA, the first time in his decade-long career he didn't start in the regular season. While that change didn't produce the bounce-back game Wiggins so sorely needs, he nevertheless played with two-way aggressiveness that's often been lacking during a disastrous start to 2023-24. He finished with nine points and three rebounds on as many shots, going 0-of-4 from deep.
Golden State trailed by double-digits at halftime, unable to contain James Harden and Kawhi Leonard while coughing up turnovers and fouling at a typically alarming rate. After Klay Thompson caught fire from deep midway through the third quarter to keep the Dubs afloat, a revamped bench unit comprised of Chris Paul, Podziemski, Moses Moody, Wiggins and Dario Saric cut the Clippers' lead to one early in the fourth.
The Warriors couldn't close the deal once Curry and Thompson came back in, Ty Lue's team selling out to make anyone other than the Splash Brothers score. Still, the obvious and immediate efficacy of a revamped rotation—not exactly surprising, by the way—counts as a welcome silver lining they can take back to the Bay entering Saturday's matchup with the Brooklyn Nets.
“We got a deep team. Bringing Wiggs off the bench with Moses—those guys are damn good players,” Kerr said. “I think we're deep and I think we're gonna make a little run here. I really believe that.”
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