Golden State Warriors Struggle to Find Their Rhythm Amid Lineup Changes and Injuries
ONCE THE TEAM’S charter plane reached cruising altitude, Golden State Warriors coach Steve Kerr and his staff gathered in the middle of the plane, huddled together in the coaches’ section. Somewhere between the Phoenix desert and Denver’s Rocky Mountains on Monday afternoon, Kerr and his assistants were hard at work. They crunched numbers, analyzed player combinations, and made decisions about lineup changes. But as fate would have it, their plans were about to be derailed.
Just as they were finalizing their strategy, Kerr received word that Draymond Green would be unavailable for Tuesday’s game against the Denver Nuggets. It was yet another blow to a Warriors team already struggling to regain its footing after a promising start to the season.
“We made some decisions on the plane that went out the window with Draymond’s absence,” Kerr admitted, frustration evident in his voice.
From Cruise Control to Turbulence
The Warriors began the season on fire, racing to a 12-3 record and dominating opponents with blowout wins in five of their first six victories. But that early momentum has since evaporated. A five-game losing streak sent the team spiraling before they managed to eke out a much-needed win over the Houston Rockets on Thursday. That victory came without both Green and Stephen Curry, who has been dealing with bilateral knee pain.
During the losing streak, the Warriors repeatedly squandered double-digit second-half leads. They blew a 17-point lead to the San Antonio Spurs, an 18-point lead to the Brooklyn Nets, and an 11-point lead to the Nuggets. Injuries have also taken their toll, with Curry and Green each missing two of the last four games.
Two weeks ago, the Warriors were sitting pretty atop the Western Conference standings. Now, as they prepare for back-to-back matchups against the Minnesota Timberwolves (10 p.m. ET, ESPN), they find themselves clinging to a spot in the top 10.
Depth: A Double-Edged Sword
One of the Warriors’ greatest strengths this season has been their depth. Kerr has called this roster perhaps the deepest he’s ever coached. But that depth has also created challenges. What was once a well-oiled 11-to-12-man rotation has turned into a 13-man logjam. In Saturday’s loss to the Phoenix Suns, Kerr experimented with different lineups, even considering shortening the rotation to find some consistency.
“With everybody healthy, the strength of the team is the depth,” Kerr said before Thursday’s game against Houston. “Hopefully we’ll prove this without Steph and Draymond — I think we’ll be able to get through stretches of injuries because we have so much depth on our roster.
“[But] I think [our] weakness is almost the same thing. There’s very little clarity for me and the staff as to who we should play every night down the stretch. We probably have had different lineups closing the game for the last five games. So good and bad with that. But it does help when you get some separation and you know for sure kind of who your group is. We’re not sure what that means yet.”
Frustrations Boil Over
As the final buzzer sounded in Denver, the Warriors had once again let a lead slip away, this time an 11-point advantage in the final 6:13. Kerr, usually the picture of calm, was visibly upset, shouting at the referees over what he believed was a missed call involving Christian Braun. The Nuggets rookie appeared to signal for a timeout with 1.9 seconds left, despite Denver having no timeouts remaining.
But Kerr’s frustrations weren’t limited to the officiating. For the first time during the losing streak, he publicly criticized one of his players, second-year guard Brandin Podziemski. Kerr called out Podziemski for two costly turnovers and a couple of ill-advised fouls, including one that gave Michael Porter Jr. three free throws.
“Pod’s a hell of a player,” Kerr said. “But he needs to be a smart player.”
Searching for Answers
As the Warriors navigate this rough patch, Kerr continues to tinker with his lineups. His most-used lineup of Curry, Green, Andrew Wiggins, Lindy Waters III, and Trayce Jackson-Davis has been effective, posting a plus-14 over 71 minutes together. Another successful combination has been Curry, Green, Wiggins, and Buddy Hield, who are a plus-52 when sharing the floor.
Hield, one of the team’s key offseason acquisitions, started the season strong but has struggled to maintain that level of play. Meanwhile, young players like Jonathan Kuminga and Moses Moody have had to be patient as they wait for consistent minutes.
Looking Ahead
The Warriors face a challenging stretch of games, including matchups against Oklahoma City, Phoenix, Denver, Houston, Minnesota, and Memphis. They also have an NBA Cup quarterfinal game against the Rockets on Wednesday. Kerr is hopeful that Curry and Green will return soon, providing the “stabilizing forces” the team desperately needs.
Despite the recent struggles, Kerr remains optimistic. “While we’ve hit this little stretch where we’ve lost games, we’re playing hard, we’re competing, we’ve given ourselves a chance to win. We just haven’t closed, so we got to get better with closing,” he said. “But big picture-wise, I love this team. I feel good about where we are.”
Originally Written by: Kendra Andrews
