Golden State Warriors coach Steve Kerr is spinning the wheel once again.
With his team trailing 2-1 in their second-round series against the Los Angeles Lakers, Kerr has elected to make another starting lineup change for Monday’s Game 4. Shams Charania of The Athletic reports that the Warriors intend to start defensive-minded guard Gary Payton II. He will be joining Steph Curry, Klay Thompson, Andrew Wiggins, and Draymond Green in a downsized starting five.
6-foot-9 floor-spacing big JaMychal Green had started the last two games for the Warriors (which had already marked a change from the team’s prior starting unit). JaMychal scored 15 points in Game 2 and opened up the lane for Golden State’s guards en route to a blowout 127-100 win. But the Lakers figured out the new lineup in Game 3, winning in a 127-97 blowout of their own as JaMychal managed just two points.
Payton is only 6-foot-2 but can slot up multiple positions on defense and make life more difficult for the Lakers’ ball-handlers at the point of attack. He was also a 50.0 percent three-point shooter during the regular season (albeit on low volume) and played a very important role in Golden State’s championship triumph last season. Provided that Draymond Green can check Anthony Davis one-on-one defensively, going small could end up being a risk that pays off for Kerr and the Warriors.
