When Draymond Green returned to the Golden State Warriors' lineup on Friday after a two-game absence due to left calf tightness, coach Steve Kerr elected to bring him off the bench. This in itself is not necessarily noteworthy -- Stephen Curry has come off the bench in five playoff games under Kerr -- but Kerr's explanation is.
"I want to look at it," Kerr told reporters after Golden State's 107-90 loss against the Minnesota Timberwolves. "We're trying to maximize Jonathan [Kuminga]."
Kerr started Curry, Brandin Podziemski, Andrew Wiggins, Kuminga and Kevon Looney against the Wolves. It was the 22-year-old Kuminga's seventh start of the season -- he started the Warriors' first three games, but since then had come off the bench unless Green or Curry or both were sidelined. Against the Houston Houston Rockets on Thursday, Kuminga scored a career-high 33 points on 13-for-22 shooting. Golden State, which has fallen to 13-9 after a 12-3 start because its offense has fallen off (it has had the third-worst offense in the NBA during this slide, per Cleaning The Glass), is hoping that he will give the team some more juice in the starting lineup, and that Green will stabilize the second unit.
"The idea is we're trying to make the most of Jonathan's ability to get downhill, to get him more time," Kerr said. "He and Wiggs last night were fantastic. So we're searching for ways to get those guys more involved and not wear down Draymond and Steph. And that's kind of the trick."
Kuminga scored 25-plus points in 10 games last season. He is one of only a few Warriors who can create advantages out of thin air. It has been difficult, though, for them to get him on the floor for heavy minutes, as he is not a threatening spot-up shooter. He is getting 3s up more frequently this season than ever before -- 7.3 attempts per 100 possessions -- but he's only shooting 31.1% from deep and opponents don't respect his shot. This is a problem because opponents generally don't respect Green's shot, either (even though Green is now shooting 39.5% from 3-point range for the second consecutive season), and Kerr prefers not to start Green at center.
At the beginning of the season, Golden State tried starting Kuminga next to Green and big man Trayce Jackson-Davis, but there was a glaring spacing issue. That's not the case with Podziemski effectively in Green's place.
"Playing [Kuminga] with Wiggs, playing Loon to start with that group means that Draymond doesn't have to guard the opposing center right from the get-go, which I think is important," Kerr said. "Then we can close with Draymond at the 5. So, in theory, I like what it looks like. But we have to play better, and we have to make better decisions."
The Warriors committed a season-high 22 turnovers against Minnesota. The new rotation might have something to do with that, but because of the NBA Cup, they're about to have time to get some practice reps. In the 10 days that follow their rematch with the Wolves on Sunday, they will play only two games.
One of the reasons for "mixing and matching," Kerr said, was "to try to help the second unit get organized with Draymond. But we need some more practice time. We've got to get our act together. We were much better offensively the first couple weeks of the season, and last couple weeks we've been struggling, which is why I've been searching, lineup-wise."
Green, 34, said that coming off the bench is an adjustment that he's willing to make.
"Coach just called and asked me," Green told reporters. "He said it's something he was thinking about, and he wanted to know if I was OK with it. Of course, I'm OK with it. I have been one of JK's biggest fans since he's been here, and so if he has an opportunity to start, you can't be hypocritical. [If] they're like, 'Yo, we want him to start, but it'll be for you,' you can't be like, 'Oh, it's not for me.' Like, that don't work. I'm a fan of his. I want to see him do well. So if his opportunity goes through me, then it is what it is. That's his opportunity, and he earned the opportunity."
Earlier in his career, Green said, he would not have had the same reaction. "Hell no, no chance, absolutely not." But given that "I'm not very early in my career anymore," given that he considers himself a leader and given that the team has been on a slide, he is buying in.
"I don't necessarily look at it as like this demotion," Green said. "I'm a starter in the NBA, I know that. I don't look at it like that. But if it's something to try to help this team win, I'm always going to be for it. I hate losing, so if you've got something that's going to help us win, you're not going to get an argument from me. And, as I've always said, I care about this organization. And I know a lot of people in this organization, including myself, think he's next. And so, if he's next, at some point we've gotta see it. And for him to do that, he needs the opportunity."
Green referenced the fact that he initially broke out after David Lee hurt his hamstring in the 2014-15 season. "I am a product of my vet being willing to take a backseat for me, so you gotta give back what came to you," he said. Green added, "When I come back here in 10 years and I'm even more gray than I am now, I want to see this franchise thriving. So if he's the guy that's going to do that -- which I think he's more than capable of -- then great, it's perfect."
Curry said that it is time for Golden State to "unlock new looks, new go-to sets, put the ball in [Kuminga's} hands," particularly because they've had some rough nights offensively.
"For us to be good -- you saw it in the Houston game, you've seen flashes -- we need him to be the best version of himself," Curry told reporters. "We have to be able to figure out, whether it's play calls, whether it's certain rotations or lineup combinations, what can unlock his ability to get downhill, put pressure on the basket, demand attention from the defense. And he's a big weapon for us."
As committed as the Warriors sound to empowering Kuminga, it's unclear how long they will stick with this particular starting lineup. With a deep roster of rotation-caliber players and concerns about wear and tear, Kerr has taken an unconventional approach to the rotation this season, going deep into his bench and, when shorthanded due to injuries, not hesitating to start someone who was previously out of the rotation. Golden State has used 12 different starting lineups, and 12 different players have started at least two games.
"Who knows how long it'll last?" Curry said. "Who knows if it's one game, five -- who knows? Every day is us trying to figure it out."
Complicating matters further, Wiggins left Friday's game because of a right ankle injury and Moses Moody left the game because of left knee soreness. This "changed all the rotation patterns," Kerr said, and, if either of them has to miss any time, it will continue to affect the rotation patterns. Kerr would like to continue to look at Kuminga with the starters and Green with the bench, "but we'll see what happens with Wiggs and Moses," he said.
In Year 13, Green remains one of the league's best defenders. When he and Curry have shared the floor, the Warriors have been elite on both ends and outscored opponents by 11.4 points per 100 possessions. In this respect, it's a bit odd that they want to use him as a sixth man, and it shouldn't be shocking if this experiment is over soon. This is an oddly shaped team, though, and if Green being the big-man version of Andre Iguodala is what makes the pieces fit, then they should go with it. For now, there's nothing wrong with giving this a try.
"We've got to constantly think about everything," Kerr said. "At the same time, I don't want a revolving door in the rotation all season long, so it's a tricky puzzle right now, trying to fit the lineups together and find the right combinations, and my staff and I need to find those combinations."
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