Warriors’ Starting 5 Up for Grabs, Says Coach Kerr
Golden State Warriors coach Steve Kerr has a pretty open-ended question he is aiming to answer throughout training camp: Who will he start with in the opening lineup? The shooting guard position, which Klay Thompson formerly held, is obviously available.
However, Kerr stated that all positions are open except for Stephen Curry’s starting gig. Kerr stated, “There is competition across the board,” on Tuesday after the Warriors’ inaugural practice on the campus of BYU Hawaii.
“It’s not as easy as deciding who will be the two. The question must be — “Who will be the 5? Who are the four people? Steph is the 1, as we are aware. However, what is the combo?”
For the whole 2023–24 season, Kerr and the Warriors struggled to find lineup combinations. 27 different starting lineups were employed by Golden State; none were used for longer than a few games at a time.
It depended partly on who was free, but mainly on the lack of cohesiveness inside the group. Together with the rotating starting lineup, the reserve unit also had trouble staying together. All of that will be discussed at camp, according to Kerr.
“The starting lineup is going to have to be dependent, not only on the first five fitting, but the second fitting as well,” Kerr stated.
“We need to put in a lot of effort into determining lineups. The guys’ only options are to compete and give it their all.” Trayce Jackson-Davis and veteran Kevon Looney will square off at centre position.
Draymond Green will probably continue to start in the frontcourt, but Kyle Anderson, a recent addition, is viewed by Kerr as a potential small-ball five.
Andrew Wiggins and Jonathan Kuminga, who had trouble sharing the court the previous campaign, will fight for a second frontcourt berth.
References and Citation
espn.com – Kerr: Warriors’ starting 5, identity to emerge from competition
heavy.com – Steph Curry Reveals 3 Options as Klay Thompson Replacement in Warriors Backcourt
nbcsportsbayarea.com – Warriors training camp takeaways: Competition for new roles underway
thescore.com – Warriors’ Kerr unsure of who will start next to Curry