Steve Kerr has spent much of the 2023-24 NBA season experimenting with different lineups from game to game, but now it appears some of these rotational changes will not stick around.
Speaking to reporters Tuesday after Draymond Green’s first practice since being reinstated from this indefinite suspension, Kerr made it clear he was not going to continue to put out lineups that featured Jonathan Kuminga and Andrew Wiggins together.
When asked if having Green back lessened the interest in playing Wiggins and Kuminga together, Kerr was blunt in his response.
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“It’s just tough, we know this from -- Steph is such a unique player that the combinations around Steph really make a big difference. We’ve been trying a lot of different things this year, but I’ve said the last week we would like to try that more and it really didn’t go well clearly, the other night,” Kerr said.
“So, it’s tough when you’re where we are in 11th place in the west, I think. It’s tough to continue to experiment with things that really aren’t proving to be very successful. So, it still could happen but to be perfectly honest, I’m less inclined to do it now."
Kerr and Co. have struggled with the Warriors' lineup configuration in recent weeks, particularly during a recent blowout loss to the Toronto Raptors at the Chase Center.
Golden State Warriors
When Kuminga and Wiggins share the floor, the Warriors have an abysmal minus-20.6 net rating, clearly one of the worst combinations the team has put out on the court this season. Against Toronto, Wiggins struggled mightily in 17 minutes of play before getting benched with a plus-minus of minus-29.
Kerr has faced criticism for his lineup rotations in recent weeks, with sources close to Kuminga telling The Athletic that the forward had “lost faith in coach Steve Kerr” due to his benching during the fourth quarter of a backbreaking loss to the Denver Nuggets.
Kerr will have to stamp out the flames of chaos that have been encircling the Warriors all season, as Golden State has continued to underperform given its championship pedigree.
Figuring out how to work Green back into the starting lineup while giving meaningful minutes to the young supporting cast will be key over the next month of the season as the Warriors will be without veteran Chris Paul who is recovering from a fractured hand and Gary Payton II, who will be re-evaluated in three weeks after sustaining a hamstring injury.