When the Warriors hit the court without Curry, you know itโs gonna be a wild ride.
Mixing It Up in the Bay
So, hereโs the scoop: Stephen Curry was out with an injury, and Steve Kerr decided to shake things up against the Pelicans. Jonathan Kuminga, the young gun, found himself starting on the bench again. Instead, Moses Moody got the nod to start, even with Andrew Wiggins also missing in action. Kerrโs reasoning? โWithout Steph and Wiggs, I didnโt want to start Trayce [Jackson-Davis], Draymond [Green], and JK,โ he explained after their solid 124-106 win. It was all about finding the right mix and getting some extra spacing on the floor.
And speaking of Kuminga, he didnโt let the benching get him down. He came in hot, dropping 17 points, snagging 3 assists, 2 steals, and a block in just 28 minutes. Not bad for a guy who got a last-minute text from Kerr about his role for the night. โWhat am I supposed to do โฆ ask why am I not starting?โ Kuminga mused. โThis is the decision of the coach, and we will follow what heโs going to do.โ
Kuminga block, Kuminga SLICK lob toss
Loud in the Bay on TNT
โ NBA (@NBA)
Kerr’s Trust in Kuminga
Kerr had nothing but praise for Kuminga after the game, calling him the teamโs โmost athletic player.โ Heโs confident that JK can make a bigger impact coming off the bench. โWeโre going to need him, obviously. He is our most athletic player. Heโs got great size. There are games like tonight where we have to have him and others where maybe things arenโt going his way. Thatโs OK,โ Kerr said. I think Kerrโs playing the long game here, keeping Kuminga hungry and ready to pounce when needed.
Kuminga himself felt more like a small forward than his usual power forward role. โI did the same thing [that I did] in game two, game three, Iโm still attacking the rim and other things but tonight they went in, so it looked good,โ he shared. Sounds like heโs adapting and evolving, which is exactly what the Warriors need.
Depth and Flexibility: The Warriors’ Secret Sauce
Golden State rolled out a starting lineup featuring Buddy Hield, Draymond Green, Moses Moody, Brandin Podziemski, and Trayce Jackson-Davis, with Kuminga fitting into their 10-man rotation. Kerr keeps emphasizing how deep this roster is compared to past seasons. โThis is about winning,โ he said. โThis is a deep team. The thing Iโve asked all of these guys to do is just commit. And every game is going to be different.โ
And honestly, isnโt that what makes basketball so exciting? The unpredictability, the strategy, the drama. Speaking of trades, did you catch that wild Curry rumor?
So, what do you think? Is Kerr onto something with his lineup shuffles, or should JK be starting every game? Letโs hear your thoughts!
