Thanks to a couple of injuries and the challenge of battling a talented Western Conference rival, there were more significant changes to the Golden State Warriors rotation on Sunday against the Minnesota Timberwolves.
The absence of Andrew Wiggins required Gary Payton II to start and take the matchup of Anthony Edwards, while a desire for more shooting saw Buddy Hield at the shooting guard spot over Brandin Podziemski.
Despite the noted move of promising to start Jonathan Kuminga over Draymond Green at the power forward position for the foreseeable future, Steve Kerr started the veteran alongside his young teammate anyway in a smaller Warrior front court.
Could Trayce Jackson-Davis' DNP hint at potential Warriors trade plans?
Green's move to the center spot caused a notable rotation axing, with second-year big man Trayce Jackson-Davis receiving his first DNP of the season. The 24-year-old had lost his starting role to Kevon Looney over the previous three games anyway, but had still averaged over 17 minutes off the bench during that span.
After starting the first 17 games of the season, Jackson-Davis' removal from the rotation on Sunday was significant but not totally suprising. His form has waned and ultimately been disappointing after an impressive rookie year, with his finishing around the rim becoming an increasing concern after shooting over 70% from the floor last season.
Jackson-Davis' form reached a low point on Friday against the Timberwolves where in a two-possession offensive sequence, he astonishingly blew a wide open layup before an attempted kick out pass to the corner sprayed wildly out of bounds.
While his axing from the rotation may have been warranted, it does nonetheless leave Golden State in a slight predicament just over a quarter of the way through the season. Playing Green at center often works but isn't ideal for the 34-year-old's longevity, and although Looney has impressively bounced back to his old reliable best this season -- including a 12-point, nine-rebound performance in 21 minutes on Sunday -- he still has his limitations that can cause issues offensively.
The center position has been an ongoing question mark for the Warriors, with many believing that they need a legitimate upgrade in that spot. Was Jackson-Davis' removal from the rotation a sign that a trade for a different big man option could be imminent. That may not be the case, but it was certainly a sign that the front office should be looking at that type of move if they aren't already.
For now it will be fascinating to see whether Jackson-Davis comes back into the fold, and subsequently how many minutes Kerr decides to play Green at center as the season progresses.