Stephen Curry's hamstring injury has caused chaos in the Golden State Warriors rotation, with Game 2 almost becoming an experimental outing for Steve Kerr to see what he has moving forward in the series.
The biggest result for the Warriors on Thursday -- outside the loss itself -- was the positive form of Jonathan Kuminga and Trayce Jackson-Davis. Both youngsters are now set to retain key roles once Game 3 gets underway on Saturday, but it's undoubtedly a risk for Golden State who will have no one to blame but themselves if it doesn't work out as intended.
Jonathan Kuminga and Trayce Jackson-Davis are set for roles in Game 3
Despite both having been out of the rotation mix regularly over the past few weeks, Kerr confirmed on Friday that Kuminga and Jackson-Davis would see playing time in Game 3. Kuminga had a team-high 18 points on 8-of-11 shooting in Game 2, including starting the second-half which presumably will be the case from the opening tip on Saturday.
The former seventh overall pick had been out of the rotation for six of an eight game span between the regular season finale and Game 6 against the Houston Rockets in the first-round, having ultimately played just 50 total minutes across that seven-game series.
The occasional minutes Kuminga did get were largely ineffective and disappointing, yet that took a turn on Wednesday as the Warriors searched for another avenue of offense without Curry available.
If Kuminga's twist of fate into becoming a playoff starter isn't shocking enough, Jackson-Davis rolling back into a genuine rotation role is perhaps even more stunning. The second-year center had fallen completely out from practically late January onwards, becoming a third-string option behind rookie Quinten Post and veteran Kevon Looney.
Now suddenly thanks to one performance, Jackson-Davis may find himself ahead of those two and as the first center off the bench for Kerr in Game 3. The 25-year-old had 15 points and six rebounds in Game 2, with his presence as a lob threat one of the rare positives fro Golden State offensively.
While Game 2 would suggest it's the right decision to take a risk on Kuminga and Jackson-Davis, it might also be unfair to wholeheartedly rely upon them after spending so much time out of the rotation in recent times.
If that young pair do see extended minutes and it doesn't work, the Warriors only have themselves to blame considering they're not exactly prepared for the situation based on their lack of playing time.