2 Warriors who should play more, 2 who should play less in Game 3 v Kings

The season is well and truly on the line for the Golden State Warriors on Thursday night when they take on the Sacramento Kings in Game 3 of their first-round playoff series. While the defending champions will be without the suspended Draymond Green in the near do-or-die contest, they’ll be undoubtedly aided by a raucous home crowd after a pair of games in a foreign, hostile environment.

Andrew Wiggins’ return to the starting lineup led to a jumbled rotation in Game 2, with the Warriors three most notable bench players all guards standing 6’4″ or below. Golden State needs to find effective combinations in Game 3 to prevent the crumbling of their season and potentially an entire dynasty.

Steve Kerr will have a challenge adjusting his rotation as the Golden State Warriors seek to keep their season alive without Draymond Green.

Gary Payton II is likely to start in Green’s absence should he overcome illness, with Wiggins moving to the power-forward spot in that circumstance. Green leaves a seismic hole that may have to be filled by multiple players, so let’s take a look at how the rotation should be altered.

2 Players who should play more — Kevon Looney and Jonathan Kuminga

Looney had a raft of huge performances under pressure last postseason, but never has he been more important to the Warriors than he will be on Thursday night. Golden State have been bereft of big men anyway, let alone now without Green next to him for support. The 27-year-old played less than 23 minutes in Game 2 thanks to foul trouble, and the Warriors will be in desperate trouble if that was to eventuate again.

Looney will have a huge role trying to guard Domantas Sabonis effectively without fouling, with the referees facing equally high pressure in how they officiate the game. His playoff-high in minutes is just over 35, and you’d think that may be pushed should he avoid foul trouble.

Kuminga is the other player who should see more minutes with Green unavailable, having seen the floor for less than four minutes in Game 2. After a promising and exciting regular season from the second-year forward, Kerr has quickly lost trust in Kuminga over the opening two playoff games.

Placing trust back in the youngster will be difficult in such an important matchup, but there’s no better option to replace some of Green’s minutes than the former seventh overall pick. Kuminga hasn’t come this far this season only to be an onlooker come playoff time, and there should be optimism of a strong performance with a home crowd behind him.

2 Players who should play less — Klay Thompson and Andrew Wiggins

38 minutes for Thompson in Game 2, while Wiggins played an extraordinary 39 in just his second outing after a 25-game absence. While one could argue they should play a similar amount given the enormity of the game, workload around that range is likely to suggest that others haven’t stepped up to the mark.

Thompson should be closer to the 35-minute mark, with Jordan Poole and Donte DiVincenzo both capable of performing better and therefore eating into some of those minutes the veteran shooting-guard was forced to play on Monday.

Wiggins is now dealing with shoulder soreness and simply shouldn’t be asked nor required to take on a similar toll again. The Warriors will be hoping one or two of Kuminga, DiVincenzo, Moses Moody and Anthony Lamb can find some production when it’s needed most, allowing Wiggins to have a reduced workload under 35 minutes.