Warriors Without Curry, Butler, and Green Against Kings
Golden State faced the Sacramento Kings on Wednesday without their three biggest stars: Stephen Curry, Draymond Green, and Jimmy Butler. Curry did not join the team on the 90-minute bus ride to Sacramento, and by game time, Green and Butler were also ruled out.
Coach Steve Kerr started a very young and inexperienced lineup featuring rookie guard Will Richard, second-year center Quentin Post, and shooting guard Moses Moody, accompanied by Brandin Podziemski and Jonathan Kuminga. None of these starters had more than four years of NBA experience, making it the least experienced Warriors starting lineup since April 26, 2012, before Kerr became head coach.
“Obviously it’s more difficult when you’re missing your stars, but it’s a great opportunity for a lot of guys,” Kerr said before the game. He added he expected to see “energy, pace” from the group and emphasized playing aggressively on offense and containing penetration on defense.
Kerr’s focus was on putting together a solid 48 minutes despite the challenges, while the Kings themselves had a heavily depleted roster due to injuries.
Author’s summary: The Warriors debuted a notably inexperienced lineup against the Kings due to major injuries, offering young players an important opportunity despite the tough circumstances.