Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr doesn’t know who will be starting alongside star point guard Steph Curry this season.
“There is competition across the board,” Kerr said after Tuesday’s practice, according to ESPN’s Kendra Andrews. “It’s not as simple as, ‘Who is going to be the two?’ … We know that Steph is the one. But what’s the combination?”
Kerr added: “The starting lineup is going to have to be dependent, not only on the first five fitting but the second five as well.”
The Warriors used 27 different starting lineups last season amid injuries and suspensions, with Curry being the only player to start more than 65 games. They then underwent major changes in the offseason, including the departure of franchise legend Klay Thompson.
Despite that upheaval, Kerr knows what he wants Golden State’s identity to be.
“I want (Andrew Wiggins) shooting six, seven threes. I want (Brandin Podziemski), I want (Moses Moody), I want (De’Anthony Melton) … I want to be a high-volume shooting team,” he said.
Buddy Hield could replace Thompson’s volume shooting. The 31-year-old is a career 40% 3-point shooter on 7.6 attempts per game.
Wiggins was an All-Star just a few seasons ago but has missed large portions of the last two campaigns due to injuries and personal issues. The former No. 1 overall pick is also coming off his worst season as a professional, averaging a career-low 13.2 points while shooting 35.8% from deep.
Draymond Green has been a staple in Golden State’s starting lineup for over a decade, but he missed a large portion of last season due to multiple suspensions for violent conduct.
Other starting candidates include former lottery pick Jonathan Kuminga, who made 46 starts last season, as well as veteran center Kevon Looney and second-year big man Trayce Jackson-Davis.
“This feels like a new beginning for us, whereas last year felt like an extension of who we were already,” Kerr said.
The Warriors will play their first preseason game Oct. 5 against the Los Angeles Clippers. Their first regular-season contest is Oct. 23 against the Portland Trail Blazers.
