- The Warriors have been bringing
Stephen Curry off the bench in the playoffs as he recovers from an ankle injury. - Curry's replacement, Jordan Poole, dominated the first three games but cooled off in Game 4, and the Warriors lost.
The face of the
Through four games against the Denver Nuggets, the Warriors have brought Stephen Curry off the bench. The adjustment was initially made to ease Curry back into action, as Game 1 of the series (which the Warriors lead 3-1) was Curry's first game back from a foot injury that had kept him out since March.
Curry's temporary replacement, third-year guard Jordan Poole, caught fire, averaging 28.6 points per game on 67% shooting over the first three games. While the Warriors slowly raised Curry's minutes with each game, it seemed logical to ride Poole's hot streak.
Before Game 4, Curry was asked about starting, and he said, with a grin, "We'll see. Maybe."
But Curry did not start the game, and the Warriors' faltered against a desperate Nuggets team trying to avoid elimination. Poole finished 3-of-10 from the field and was a -9 in the five-point loss. Curry scored 33 points in 37 minutes off the bench and was a -4.
Though Poole has been extraordinary and looks like found gold for the Warriors, the stats suggest the Warriors should turn back to their franchise cornerstone. With Curry on the floor this series, the Warriors boast a 19.8 net rating, the second-highest scoring margin on the team. With Poole on the court, the Warriors have a 1.8 net rating.
But this is less a Curry-vs.-Poole debate than why the Warriors still won't commit to starting Curry.
On Tuesday, Warriors head coach Steve Kerr said Curry wouldn't have any limits for Game 5. Kerr then side-stepped answering if Curry would start Game 5 by telling an amusing story about Gregg Popovich once submitting a fake starting lineup before a game against the Warriors.
Curry, who has now played back-to-back 30-minute games in the series, has been democratic when asked about starting vs. coming off the bench.
"It's a difficult decision, I think, for Coach, just to try to figure out what's the right move," Curry told reporters earlier in the series. "But at the end of the day, it's on all of us to make the necessary adjustments just to be ready and make it about winning."
Head coaches are sometimes hesitant to reveal their starting lineups too far ahead of games. But Curry being involved in the Warriors' game plan — whether off the bench or in the starting lineup — won't exactly catch the Nuggets off-guard.
Kerr and the Warriors may have already decided that Curry will start Game 5, but they haven't decided who he'll replace in the starting lineup. It's also possible that the Warriors have informed Curry of their plans but are keeping it under wraps from the public.
Nonetheless, a Game 5 loss would give the Nuggets momentum heading into a Game 6 in Denver.
Furthermore, the Warriors' presumed starting lineup of Curry, Klay Thompson, Andrew Wiggins, Draymond Green, and Kevon Looney has played just two minutes this series. Curry, Thompson, and Green have shown remarkable chemistry together after barely playing together the past three years. Still, the Warriors will likely want to give their usual starters more reps together as the playoffs go on.
Bringing Curry off the bench to begin the series was a convenient adjustment that paid off early, but it has likely run its course at this juncture of the series.