The Golden State Warriors announced their starting lineup for their first NBA preseason game against the LA Lakers on Sunday. The team had significant changes over the summer and has added another veteran point guard who could bring in a different option for them.
The Warriors revealed that the starting five will be Chris Paul, Steph Curry, Klay Thompson, Andrew Wiggins and Kevon Looney. Interestingly, Draymond Green will be coming off the bench, but the lineup could still be adjusted.
Coach Steve Kerr opted for a more balanced lineup that features reliable shooters. With four perimeter players on the floor, their offensive approach could concentrate mostly on stretching the floor and maximizing the 3-point range. Green could lead the second unit and be the secondary floor general.
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Earlier on, there were questions about who would be coming off the bench after they traded for Paul. Now, Kerr could do a couple more experiments to figure out if CP3 fits being with the starters more or if Green could handle the adjustment of coming off the bench. The four-time champ is also reported to miss six to eight weeks due to injury, which explains Kerr's choice of starters.
The only downside with this starting lineup, it can easily be exposed on the defensive end. Without a defensive specialist like the former 2016-17 Defensive Player of the Year, Wiggins, Thompson and Looney will be tasked to do most of the defensive coverages.
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Klay Thompson could guard most of the power forwards for the Warriors
Golden State's starting lineup isn't the most efficient on defense. It was reported by Dalton Johnson that Kerr is planning to have Thompson guard power forwards.
"Klay Thompson will guard the 4 in this lineup, Steve Kerr says," Jonshon reported. "The Warriors see Klay as someone who can take advantage of his strength defensively in this case and it’s part of the evolution of his game."
Thompson is a one-time All-Defensive team member, and fans are aware of how good he is on defense. However, he's suffered multiple injuries over the past few seasons which have slowed him down on that end. He isn't the best defender for the Warriors in their reported starting five.
Ideally, someone like Wiggins could fit the role as he's quicker, stronger and more athletic than Thompson. But giving him that assignment could expose their perimeter defense, and teams could start to take advantage of it.
Golden State still has a long way to go in terms of experimenting on its lineup. With 82 games in the season, it could make use of some of the players acquired over the summer.
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