Analysing ways in which Golden State Warriors can line up without Klay Thompson and Andrew Wiggins at the start of the 2021-22 NBA season
![Golden State Warriors Media Day [Source: Golden State Warriors]](https://staticg.sportskeeda.com/editor/2021/09/0517e-16328332456288-800.jpg?w=500)
The Golden State Warriors Media Day came as a sight for sore eyes for all Bay Area fans who were craving NBA content. The Golden State Warriors members answered a lot of questions regarding the franchise's future and the upcoming season.
Klay Thompson and James Wiseman's recovery and return status was a major topic of discussion while the Andrew Wiggins saga has picked up a lot of steam as well. The starting small forward might be forced to miss all home games next season if he isn't vaccinated, according to the COVID-19 laws of San Francisco.
Andrew Wiggins: "I'm just going to keep all that private right now...Anything that has to do with my status, vaccination, I'm going to keep it personal, private."
Golden State Warriors talisman Stephen Curry spoke about the predicament the team is in and his thoughts on Wiggins' decision not to get vaccinated.
"It's difficult...At the end of the day, it's up to him...we hope he has the right information and access to all of the right resources. We hope he's available... It's not ideal."
Coach Steve Kerr and GM Bob Myers are optimistic that the whole squad will be present and everything will get resolved before the regular season kicks off. Coach Kerr said he refuses to indulge in Wiggins' replacement or what will happen if he doesn't play.
However, fans and pundits don't hold the same level of confidence. The Golden State Warriors' last two seasons were without a playoff appearance, so the Bay Area faithful want to know if every contingency plan has been considered.
Golden State Warriors Depth Chart
There are plenty of potential lineups that the Golden State Warriors can deploy in the 2021-22 NBA season. Opening night is against the LA Lakers at Staples Center, so everyone except Thompson and Wiseman are certain to lace up.
You can view the roster and the preseason schedule here.
The Golden State Warriors have a blend of championship-tested veterans and inexperienced teenagers on their roster. They also have a balance of guards and forwards for a healthy rotation in any situation. The Warriors have shooting from beyond the arc and are also excellent in playmaking and defense.
Draymond Green, Andre Iguodala and Nemanja Bjelica can play the center role when the coach wants to deploy a small-ball or three-point shooting lineup. Andrew Wiggins and Jonathan Kuminga can play either the small forward or the shooting guard position with ease. Meanwhile, practically every guard on the Golden State Warriors roster can play either backcourt position.
Now, clearly this rotation/depth chart is nowhere close to perfect but it gives an idea of how each player can fill in different roles. This depth chart also considers Wiggins to be vaccinated, and Thompson and Wiseman to be healthy.
Stephen Curry looks likely to play the entire first quarter and then get subbed in at the 6-min mark of the second quarter. He will then repeat the same rotation in the second half. Meanwhile, Andrew Wiggins could play the entire first quarter and the first 6 minutes of the second quarter so that's 18 straight minutes for the 26-year-old forward. Steve Kerr is likely to try to match Draymond Green's minutes with Curry but could often call him to the floor earlier if there are defensive or playmaking assignments.
Klay Thompson, on the other hand, is expected to play limited minutes at first. Somewhere around 10-15 minutes per game should be ideal given his two-year hiatus and then a steady increase in minutes each night to eventually playing 30+ minutes in the postseason.
We haven't seen James Wiseman's rotations properly yet given his injury last year and coach Kerr's decision to bench him later in the season. However, we know that he will majorly share the center spot with Kevon Looney.
Let's take a look at some potential Golden State Warriors lineups with and without Andrew Wiggins and Klay Thompson. The starting five are given in the order of PG-SG-SF-PF-C positions and these lineups are barring any sudden or random coaching change.
We have kept Stephen Curry, Draymond Green and James Wiseman as the bonafide starters. Kevon Looney, Nemanja Bjelica, Mychal Mulder, Avery Bradley and Juan Toscano-Anderson have not been considered starters.
Case #1 - Andrew Wiggins and Klay Thompson are unavailable
The Golden State Warriors have planned a late December to early January return timeline for Klay Thompson, so he is going to miss roughly 35 games anyway. Even after coming back, we should expect Thompson to miss games due to random injury management.
Kevin Durant and John Wall returned from an Achilles injury after 18 and 24 months respectively, and both missed almost half the season. Thompson's return is just 13-14 months after the injury so we cannot expect the old Klay right away.
Jordan Poole is likely going to take up the starting shooting guard spot. He has shown tremendous development over the last two years, averaging 12 points per game and shooting 35% from downtown. Poole has also evolved into a fan favorite for the Golden State Warriors as he displays incredible confidence and skill whenever he is on the floor.
The starting 2-guard spot to fill in for Klay Thompson isn't filled yet, per Steve Kerr.
It may be Jordan Poole's to lose, contingent on his ability to balance on-ball and off-ball responsibilities. twitter.com/JoeVirayNBA/st…
Here are some possible Golden State Warriors lineups without Andrew Wiggins and Klay Thompson.
Lineup 1: Stephen Curry - Jordan Poole - Otto Porter Jr. - Draymond Green - James Wiseman.
Lineup 2: Stephen Curry - Damion Lee - Andre Iguodala - Draymond Green - James Wiseman.
Lineup 3: Stephen Curry - Poole/Lee - Jonathan Kuminga - Draymond Green - James Wiseman.
Lineup 4: Stephen Curry - Moses Moody - Poole/Lee - Draymond Green - James Wiseman.
Lineup 5: Stephen Curry - Moses Moody - Jonathan Kuminga - Draymond Green - James Wiseman.
There are a handful of potential lineups when the Golden State Warriors need to find versatility on the wing. The first lineup is the most likely starting 5 when both Thompson and Wiggins aren't present.
The shooting guard spot can be switched between Jordan Poole and Damion Lee, while Jonathan Kuminga, Andre Iguodala and Otto Porter Jr. can switch for the small forward role. The fifth lineup is the least likely because it puts both rookies on the floor together with Curry and Draymond.
Case #2 - Andrew Wiggins plays but Klay Thompson is absent for the Golden State Warriors
These are the Golden State Warriors lineups that will be deployed at the start of the season when Klay Thompson is rehabbing, but Andrew Wiggins can play. Even if the latter doesn't get vaccinated, road game lineups are bound to look like this until late December or early January.
Lineup 1: Stephen Curry - Andrew Wiggins - Otto Porter Jr. - Draymond Green - James Wiseman.
Lineup 2: Stephen Curry - Jordan Poole - Andrew Wiggins - Draymond Green - James Wiseman.
Lineup 3: Stephen Curry - Lee/Moody - Andrew Wiggins - Draymond Green - James Wiseman.
Lineup 4: Stephen Curry - Andrew Wiggins - Iguodala/Kuminga - Draymond Green - James Wiseman.
The NBA has denied Andrew Wiggins religious exemption from COVID-19 vaccination, and he will not be able to play in home games until he fulfills San Francisco's vaccination requirements, per @ShamsCharania https://t.co/SRwtoDLBr6
A few potential lineups for the Golden State Warriors will certainly include Andrew Wiggins playing the shooting guard role as he did so many times last season. He often swapped the shooting guard and small forward positions with Kelly Oubre Jr. and we know he is capable of playing in the backcourt with Curry. The first lineup is the most likely one that the Golden State Warriors will use for this scenario.
Case #3 - Klay Thompson plays but Andrew Wiggins is absent
In the unwanted scenario where Thompson gets back in December/January but Wiggins is still unable to play home games, these are the few lineups that coach Steve Kerr can deploy for the Golden State Warriors.
Lineup 1: Stephen Curry - Klay Thompson - Otto Porter Jr. - Draymond Green - James Wiseman.
Lineup 2: Stephen Curry - Poole/Lee - Klay Thompson - Draymond Green - James Wiseman.
Lineup 3: Stephen Curry - Klay Thompson - Kuminga/Iguodala - Draymond Green - James Wiseman.
Klay had his own three-point contest and didn’t miss 🔥 https://t.co/HXRLWblCBJ
Klay Thompson's height and defensive capabilities allow him to play the small forward spot with ease, and he has done so many times for the Golden State Warriors. The first lineup is the most likely, with Otto Porter Jr. subbing in for Andrew Wiggins.
You can check out the Golden State Warriors' roster and preseason schedule here.
Also Read: Who is Klay Thompson’s girlfriend, Laura Harrier?