Without Steph, Warriors will discover if depth as good as advertised

Without Steph, Warriors will discover if depth as good as advertised originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

SAN FRANCISCO – After enjoying their full roster for only the first four days of their season, the Warriors are about to discover if the quality of their depth matches the quantity.

Franchise player Stephen Curry will miss at least two games – and likely more – after sustaining a left ankle sprain Sunday in the fourth quarter of a 112-104 loss to the Clippers.

Less than four minutes after Curry headed into the locker room, combo guard De’Anthony Melton left the game with a lower back strain.

Curry and Melton will each miss at least two games and possibly more. Both are scheduled to be reevaluated Friday before the Warriors leave town for a five-game road trip that begins Saturday in Houston.

In addition to Curry and Melton, starting guard Andrew Wiggins has a strained lower back and is listed as questionable for the game Tuesday night against New Orleans.

“I don’t even know who I’m going to start tomorrow,” coach Steve Kerr said Monday after practice.

That’s the quandary that comes when two starters – including the most valuable member of the franchise – and a key rotation player land on the injury list.

While acknowledging that a rotation of nine or 10 is typical in the NBA, Kerr has said he’s willing go 12 deep, 14 if necessary. All 14 active players participated in the first two games of the season, both of which were blowouts, the first in Portland and the second at Utah.

Now, though, the Warriors (2-1) move into the discovery phase. While there is a reasonable chance Wiggins could be available Tuesday, the loss of Curry – the most unique point guard in the league – leaves a void that simply cannot be filled.

Somebody must be the primary ball-handler, and whomever gets the assignment will have dramatically different skills than Curry.

“(Brandin Podziemski) will handle the ball quite a bit,” Kerr said. “Kyle Anderson can play point forward. Draymond (Green) can play point forward. We have a lot of guys who can handle the ball. We’ll most likely activate Pat (Spencer, two-way guard) tomorrow for an additional ball handler and go from there.”

The first inclination would be to start Podziemski at point guard. He has spent plenty of time running the second unit, a role he has split with Melton. The problem with such a move is the impact it would have on the spacing Kerr prioritizes. Through two games, Podziemski is 1-of-14 from distance.

Through three games, starting small forward Jonathan Kuminga is 1-of-9 from deep, and Green has only four attempts beyond the arc.

The Pelicans probably wouldn’t mind Golden State starting a lineup that features Podziemski, Kuminga and Green, along with center Trayce Jackson-Davis. If Wiggins is available, he’d get a lot of attention, and the paint will be crowded.

“We’re still learning our team,” Kerr said. “We’ll see some different combinations out there. That was part of the idea in preseason, to get a look at last many combinations as we could.”

Here’s another option surely under consideration: Moses Moody in for Kuminga. Moody is 6-of-15 from deep. Only Sixth Man Buddy Hield (13), Curry (11) and Wiggins (11) have attempted and made more triples than Moody.
The next 24 hours will lead to an interesting lineup. One with a much thinner margin for error. It will provide the Warriors with an indication of whether their roster deep enough to keep the team afloat without Curry. Or merely deep.

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