Warriors test another lineup vs. Rockets, and it might be their best

Yahoo

14-02-2025

Warriors test another lineup vs. Rockets, and it might be their best originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
The Warriors played their 55th game of the 2024-25 NBA season Thursday night in Houston, where coach Steve Kerr unveiled his 33rd different starting lineup and decided he's going to ride it for the foreseeable future.
We should assume, however, that it is subject to change because he has uttered such declarations several times this season.
Stephen Curry, Draymond Green and Jimmy Butler are and will remain the constants. In lineup No. 33 against the Rockets, they were joined by Moses Moody, who is undefeated (7-0) as a starter, and Brandin Podziemski, who replaced Buddy Hield, whose greatest value this season has been as a decoy.
Kerr's reasoning is sound, the decision worked well enough to carve out a 105-98 victory at Toyota Center.
'We felt like it was the right time to do it,' Kerr told reporters in Houston. 'Brandin has played so well the last couple weeks that I think he needs to be in that starting group now. He gives Steph another ball handler and decision-maker. He makes a lot of plays out of nothing with his brain and his skill.'
The new lineup brought an early spark that was impressive considering the Warriors played late into Wednesday evening in a loss at Dallas and didn't arrive at their hotel in Houston until 3:30 a.m. To go up nine after one quarter and push the lead to 16 early in the second was testimony to their collective desire.
As has happened many times this season, though, was a night when the best and worst of the Warriors was on display. They built a 24-point lead with four minutes left in the third quarter and then a familiar wall, one that tends to materialize whenever Curry leaves the game for a few minutes. That wall led them to Butler, with Kerr immediately announcing that Butler will play 'all of the non-Steph minutes.'
Kerr, perhaps concerned about his exhausted veterans, took a risk and got burned. With Curry, Butler and Green all on the bench, Golden State tried a lineup with Kevon Looney, Gui Santos, Pat Spencer, Hield and Podziemski. The offense died, the defense went to pieces and the Rockets started rolling toward a 32-10 run that put them within two (91-89) with 6:03 remaining.
It was Curry, Butler and Green, the team's most battle-scarred vets, that showed the way to victory, accounting for all 12 points over the decisive last four minutes, Green draining a triple that put the lead at nine with 47 seconds remaining.
'We let one get away last night, but this one tonight we would have lost,' Green said. 'But just having a guy like [Butler] changes everything for us.'
Butler fills a role this team needs. He offers such tangibles as getting to the free-throw line, defensive anticipation that leads to steals and getting buckets out of the low post. He brings a truck full of intangibles, the most notable being presence. It's hard to quantify, but it's easy to feel and see.
'We have to learn how to close games,' Kerr said. 'We have not done that well, and we didn't do it well last night, obviously. So that was an important game for us. We think Jimmy's presence and skill are going to allow us to finish games much better than we have so far this year. Tonight was a good example of that and hopefully a sign of things to come.'
Butler finished with 19 points (13 in the second half), eight rebounds and four assists. Curry totaled a game-high 27 points, adding five rebounds and three assists. Green had 13 points, eight assists, four rebounds and two steals. He played 30 minutes, while Curry and Butler each played 35. And, to think, the decision to make them available came after consultation with the medical and training staffs.
All three of the 30-somethings seemed to gain energy from their younger partners in the starting lineup. Podziemski scored 14 of his 18 points in the first half, with Moody scoring all 10 of his points – along with two blocks and a steal – before intermission.
Podziemski, for now, will be the initial point-of-attack defender. He, along with Moody and Butler, limited Houston star Jalen Green to nine points on 3-of-10 shooting while committing four turnovers in 22 minutes.
'It was so good to get him out there,' Kerr said. 'I imagine he's going to be out there now as a starter for a while, obviously with Steph, Jimmy and Draymond. I thought Moses complimented those guys really well, too.
'We'll see how it goes from here. We've got [Jonathan Kuminga] coming back, hopefully within a couple of weeks, and so we always have options. But I think BP has got to be out there.'
Will Kerr's latest lineup be the one that pulls the Warriors out of their prolonged mediocrity? It's a blend of youth and experience, with all five players owning multiple skills. It's built for speed, which has been difficult to maintain but would seem to be beneficial.
On a night when Kerr learned a hard lesson – never rest Curry and Butler together unless the game is decided – it was apparent that lineup No. 33 is worth an extended audition.
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