Steve Kerr made some lineup changes for the Golden State Warriors loss to the Dallas Mavericks on Saturday (Dec. 30.) Chris Paul and Trayce Jackson-Davis both started while Brandin Podziemski and Kevon Looney were moved into a bench role. Head coach Kerr revealed he made the changes due to searching for improvements on the defensive end.
Throughout the first third of the season, the Warriors have struggled to nail down their rotations. No matter who is starting, there always appear to be gaps that need to be plugged. More importantly, the roster’s energy often seems to be lacking compared to previous seasons.
Following the Warriors’ latest defeat, Steph Curry discussed Golden State’s changes to their starting lineup, noting how the team needs to find a ‘dependable’ unit they call fall back on when games get tough.
“It’s the nature of this team,” Curry said. “It’s kind of materialized throughout the year. We’ve experimented a lot. Some for forced reasons. Somes for us searching for an identity of what are our strengths and playing into that, and we haven’t found that. It’s frustrating for sure; we’re 32 games in. And, any team that is a seriously competitive contender, a good team, can usually answer that question. So, we have to get to that point for sure, before it’s too late.”
After starting the season in MVP-like form, Curry has hit a rough patch in recent games. Against the Mavericks, the 35-year-old’s shooting struggles continued, as he went 9-of-25 from the field, although he did shoot 40% from 3-point range.
The season comes fast at this point in the NBA calendar. As such, Curry is right: the Warriors need to find their identity or risk the season slipping away from them.
