Mired in a deepening slump, the Golden State Warriors could soon make some big changes to their starting lineup.
The Warriors lost what was expected to be the easiest contest of a five-game road trip by blowing a lead and losing to the 20-win Orlando Magic, Golden State’s 12th loss in the last 18 games. The loss allowed the Phoenix Suns to clinch top seed in the Western Conference, and one insider believes could now lead to a shakeup in Golden State’s rotation.
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Changes Coming for Warriors?
The Warriors have seen a number of different starting lineups this season as the team has dealt with long-term injuries for Klay Thompson, Draymond Green, and Steph Curry at various times, but there has been one constant through it all — big man Kevon Looney. The Warriors veteran has started every game this season, but Monte Poole of NBC Sports Bay Area believes that head coach Steve Kerr may be forced to make a change to bring more scoring prowess.
With Curry off the floor with a foot injury that will keep him out through the rest of March, the Warriors may need to bring in a big man with a better scoring touch than the one Looney provides, Poole wrote. He suggested that Otto Porter Jr. could join the starting lineup. Porter has been on a tear of late, scoring 16 points and grabbing 16 rebounds in 29 minutes against the San Antonio Spurs on March 20 and adding another 14 points and 15 rebounds in 26 minutes against the Magic.
“Kerr, clearly agitated after consecutive losses to teams that won’t sniff the playoffs, will join his assistants in a late-night search for answers,” Poole wrote. “Looney’s starting spot has to be among the potential changes – particularly with the way Porter is playing.”
The Warriors are 6-12 in their last 18 games. Only 4 teams have more losses than them in that span.
The Warriors have already been handed a major setback in the frontcourt. Second-year center James Wiseman, who has been out since last April after tearing a meniscus in his knee, was close to returning to the Warriors before suffering another setback with swelling in the same knee. It’s now unclear when he might return, and Kerr has floated the idea of looking to free agency to bring in another big man.
Warriors Looking for Answers
While it’s not clear yet whether Kerr has any alterations planned for the starting lineup, the Warriors coach said after Tuesday’s loss that something needs to change. He called out the team for the lackluster performance, saying that they lacked the ability to finish out games.
“We have to look at our lineup, we have to address everything,” Kerr said, via ESPN. “ … It’s like a domino effect. You saw me searching for lineups tonight. But I was really disappointed in the fourth quarter. We did not execute at all in the fourth quarter.”
Green was even more blunt in his assessment, calling out the team for “soft” play during their losing stretch.
Draymond Green after the loss in Orlando
“We’re playing soft. We’re playing stupid. We’re just not playing good basketball. And we’re getting punked.”
“I think we’re playing soft, I think we’re playing stupid,” he said. “We’re just not playing good basketball. We’re getting punked, and we’re losing a lot of fourth quarters. No disrespect to the Orlando Magic, but they’re one of the worst teams in the league.”
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Warriors Rumors: Veteran Big Man Could be Benched Amid Team Slump