How the Warriors can make up for Draymond Green’s absence in Game 3
Warriors vs. Kings: Who will start for Draymond Green? Who will come off
the bench?
>Golden State Warriors’ Draymond Green jaws with Sacramento Kings’
De’Aaron Fox in the fourth quarter of Game 1 of the Western Conference
First Round playoffs, Saturday, April 15, 2023, at Golden One Arena in
Sacramento, Calif. (Karl Mondon/Bay Area News Group)
By SHAYNA RUBIN | srubin@bayareanewsgroup.com | Bay Area News Group
PUBLISHED: April 19, 2023 at 3:55 p.m. | UPDATED: April 19, 2023 at 4:11
p.m.
https://www.eastbaytimes.com/2023/04/19/how-the-warriors-can-make-up-for-draymond-greens-absence-in-game-3/

SAN FRANCISCO — The Warriors return home facing a 2-0 series deficit
without Draymond Green due to a shocking one-game suspension for a
pivotal Game 3 of their first-round series against the Sacramento Kings.

That leaves an already-small Golden State team even shorter on big
bodies and without its best defender for what could be a turning-point
game for the defending champions. Now the Warriors’ coaching staff will
have to get creative with their rotations to keep alive their dimming
playoff hopes.

Without Green, Kevon Looney will be key as he is the only other Warrior
who has been able to defend Kings big Domantas Sabonis and establish
some consistency as a rebounder. Low-minute players and others who have
fallen out of the playoff rotation will need to step up in Green’s
place: Expect a lot more Jonathan Kuminga, Anthony Lamb, JaMychal Green
and Moses Moody in the frontcourt Game 3.

Replacements are ready, but may not be enough to erase the loss. Green
has played the second-most minutes behind Jordan Poole this season and
the Warriors went 3-6 with a minus-6 net rating in the nine games he’s
missed.

A staunch half-court Warriors defense headed by Green was one of the few
things working against the fast-paced Kings in the first two games.
Without it, a potent offense could very well get even more of what it
wants, putting a quick and anticlimactic end to the Warriors’ disastrous
and disappointing title defense. Still, there’s a slim chance that —
even without the depth of talent they had last year — Green’s suspension
could galvanize Golden State.

So what do the Warriors do without him? Here is our educated guess.

- Who starts?

Kuminga typically starts when Green is out. But the 20-year-old has just
one rebound and struggled in limited minutes through the first two
games. The Warriors might opt to start him anyway because he’s grown
exponentially as a player over the last few months and historically
shined under the spotlight this season.

They could start Jordan Poole and lean fully into their offense with a
three-guard lineup that has mostly failed them this year. The Poole,
Steph Curry and Klay Thompson trio has barely played together this
season without Green on the court — and has a minus-19.2 net rating in
those rare few minutes.

“With these guys, you just move forward,” head coach Steve Kerr said
Wednesday. “It’s important for us to understand the job. The players see
that.”

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Moses Moody fell out of the rotation almost entirely this season but had
a strong showing in Game 2 when a handful of Warriors found themselves
in foul trouble early. Moody had four rebounds and four points in six
third-quarter minutes. At 6-foot-6, the second-year player can slide in
as a wing when the Warriors go small, and they may use him from tipoff.

They could also start Donte DiVincenzo, who started all but one
regular-season game during Andrew Wiggins’ extended absence. Gary Payton
II is an option to start in Green’s place, too, if the team determines
it must get off on the right foot with strong point-of-attack defense
against the speedy De’Aaron Fox.

- Bigs off the bench

Count on the Warriors to play small, but they’ll need some size off the
bench.

JaMychal Green played one minute during Game 2 when Looney landed in
foul trouble, but has been out of the playoff rotation otherwise. Green
was getting corner 3-point shots up after practice Wednesday. His
utility is greatest as someone who can stretch the floor, but his
defense could be an issue.

Lamb hasn’t played a second in the playoffs after having his contract
converted from a two-way deal to make him playoff-eligible. Expect him
to be called upon to play a few minutes in Game 3.

--
Shayna Rubin | General Assignment Sports Reporter
Shayna Rubin is a Bay Area News Group sports reporter for The Mercury
News and East Bay Times. She covered the Oakland A's from 2019 to 2021
and, most recently, the Golden State Warriors' championship run in 2022.
Shayna is a San Francisco native. She is a graduate of San Francisco
State University with a BA degree in journalism and a MA degree in
broadcasting and electronic communication arts.