The Golden State Warriors will head back to Target Center for Game 2 of their Western Conference semifinal series with the Minnesota Timberwolves on Thursday evening. When they do, they'll be doing so without the services of Stephen Curry. But the Warriors will also be looking to see if the Wolves replicate one of their winning strategies — Trimming the rotation based on the matchup.
This was one of the biggest reasons Golden State was able to pick up an improbable win over Minnesota in Game 1. When Curry went out with his injury, most people probably assumed the game was a wash. When you're without a top 10 player in the game, it typically doesn't go over too well.
But this is where the Warriors hurt you, because they can adjust based on circumstances and the matchup. Outside of Curry's injury, there were other factors working against them on Tuesday. Brandin Podziemski went just 1-for-7 and Golden State 's bench finished with 21 total points. And yet, the Warriors were able to escape with the victory.
Why? Because Steve Kerr played only the guys he knew would be beneficial in this specific matchup with Minnesota. And as for minute distributions, he wasn't afraid to trim playing time for the guys that weren't as suited to playing this Timberwolves squad as they would be other teams in these playoffs.
The Warriors don't have a problem trimming their rotation
That's something that Golden State has a significant advantage over Minnesota in. Chris Finch, while a great coach in his own right, has a tendency to always just roll with his main guys without as much flexibility based on matchup. It's something that could end up making a difference in this series if Kerr is able to out-coach him.
Now, maybe there's something to be said for the Timberwolves having more proven veterans in their rotation than the Warriors. That's certainly something to consider, given that Minnesota has higher-level guys like Donte DiVincenzo and Naz Reid coming off their bench, while Golden State is working with players like Kevon Looney and Gary Payton II as their substitutes.
But the original point still remains. Players like Mike Conley and Rudy Gobert may have achieved a lot more in their careers than some of the guys on the Warriors' roster, but that doesn't automatically make them a better fit for this series in particular.
If Finch remains determined to give big minutes to the Conleys and Goberts who are perhaps a little less suited to play against this Warriors team, it could leave Golden State with a surprising edge. There's not many avenues to the Dubs winning this series with Curry hurt, but this may be one of the only ways they can gain a serious advantage.