Warriors plotting major lineup change for closeout game against Nuggets
Jan 18, 2020; San Francisco, California, USA; Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr stands on the sideline during the fourth quarter against the Orlando Magic at Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-USA TODAY Sports
After failing to sweep the Denver Nuggets, Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr appears to be ready to play the ace up his sleeve.
Shams Charania of The Athletic reported Wednesday that the Warriors are leaning towards starting their modern-day “Death Lineup” against Denver in Game 5 of their first-round series. That lineup consists of Steph Curry, Jordan Poole, Klay Thompson, Andrew Wiggins, and Draymond Green.
To this point, the Warriors had been bringing Curry, who was coming off a foot injury, off the bench and starting Kevon Looney at center. Their Curry-Poole-Thompson-Wiggins-Green lineup has been an absolutely destructive force however, outscoring the Nuggets by 34.4 points per 100 possessions this series (per NBA.com).
The Warriors were definitely angered by Sunday’s Game 4 defeat to Denver. Going small, quick, and potent (a Kerr specialty) to start Wednesday’s game may be their way of saying that enough is enough.
