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Amid the Golden State Warriors’ disappointing 15-17 start, coach Steve Kerr recently switched up his rotations. Kerr started veteran point guard Chris Paul and rookie big man Trayce Jackson-Davis against the Dallas Mavericks on Saturday. The move didn’t result in a win, however, according to Kerr, the Warriors’ new starting five offers the team balance.
Ahead of Golden State’s matchup against the Orlando Magic on Tuesday, Kerr broke down his decision to change his starters. Regarding starting Jackson-Davis at center, he highlighted how the rookie’s rim-protecting ability allows the team to get out and play in transition.
“Well, we’re trying to do multiple things at once,” Kerr said. “So, Trayce offers a little more rim protection. … So, we’re thinking, potentially, we get a couple of blocked shots and get some runouts.”
Kerr also touched on his decision to start Paul, attributing it to his fit next to superstar point guard Steph Curry. According to Kerr, the veteran alleviates pressure off Curry with his playmaking ability.
“And then starting Chris allows Steph to get off the ball a little bit,” Kerr said. “Everyone’s trying to pressure Steph all over the floor.”
Kerr noted that the lineup, which also features star shooting guard Klay Thompson and forward Jonathan Kuminga feels like the Warriors’ “best two-way solution.” He added that it should help them “get off to better starts.” However, he cautioned that the lineup still isn’t “perfect.”
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How have Trayce Jackson-Davis and Chris Paul fared in their first seasons with the Warriors?
Despite being at vastly different points in their careers, Jackson-Davis and Paul are both in their first seasons with the Warriors. Additionally, both players have made sizeable impacts on the team thus far.
Through 22 games, Jackson-Davis is averaging 5.7 points, 4.0 rebounds, 0.9 assists and 0.7 blocks per game on 63.8% shooting. However, over his last seven games, he is averaging 11.7 ppg, 8.7 rpg, 2.0 apg and 1.0 bpg on 68.5% shooting.
As for Paul, he is averaging 8.9 ppg, 3.8 rpg, 7.4 apg, 1.2 spg and 1.3 3pg on 41.2% shooting through 29 games. These numbers are a far cry from the 12-time All-Star’s prime years. However, his 7.4 apg still leads the Warriors.
Golden State (15-17) will look to end its three-game losing streak against an upstart Orlando team (19-13) on Tuesday. The Magic have the NBA’s fifth-best defensive rating (110.6), so they should pose a difficult challenge. It remains to be seen if Kerr’s lineup change will pay off.
