The Golden State Warriors will begin the “second half of the season” Thursday night at Chase Center against the Boston Celtics.
They’re coming off a mixed-bag first half, hindered in part by Jimmy Butler’s ACL injury suffered on Jan. 19 against the Miami Heat. Through 55 games, the Warriors rank 15th in offense (114.3 ORTG) and eighth in defense (112.5 DRTG).
Golden State hasn’t been spared by injuries, as several key players have missed significant time: Stephen Curry (16 games), Butler (17 games, out for the year), Draymond Green (9 games), Al Horford (21 games) and De'Anthony Melton (27 games).
Meanwhile, newly acquired Kristaps Porzingis isn’t known for his availability, appearing in just 17 games this season with Atlanta while still dealing with an illness and achilles issues.
Let’s dive into the key storylines the Warriors need to sort out if they want to push up the West standings.
The starting lineup puzzle
Largely due to the injury bug that has hit the Warriors, Steve Kerr has used 24 different starting lineups this season — the second-most in the NBA, trailing only the Cleveland Cavaliers (26).
Golden State has gone small at times with lineups featuring Curry, Brandin Podziemski, the now departed Jonathan Kuminga, Butler and Green, or more recently Pat Spencer, Melton, Moses Moody, Gui Santos and Green. But the Warriors have also experimented with bigger looks, pairing Horford (or Quinten Post) alongside Green.
The acquisition of 7-foot-2 Porzingis likely means we’ll see bigger lineups going forward, assuming he can stay healthy (more on that later).
Steve Kerr has expressed a desire to keep Gui Santos in the starting lineup after the young forward averaged 14.3 points, 5.1 rebounds and 3.5 assists over his last eight games. A frontcourt featuring Santos (6-foot-7), Green (6-foot-6) and Porzingis (7-foot-2) would represent a best-case scenario for Golden State.
With Curry returning and reclaiming his spot in the starting five, the shooting guard spot is the one to fill. Three candidates spring to mind: Moody, Podziemski and De’Anthony Melton.
Melton will likely remain in a bench role, mainly due to the minutes restriction he’s on, but the other two both have compelling cases.
Podziemski brings additional playmaking alongside Steph, but he’s been inconsistent as a scorer lately (36.9% from the field and 20.5% from three over his last 10 games).
Moody, on the other hand, has been shooting at a high level — over 47% from deep over his last 15 games — and he led the Warriors in scoring during Curry’s five-game absence (15.0 PPG).
Moses’ late surge gives him an edge, and he should be the the fifth starter upon the season resumption. However, his lack of consistency could cost him that role if he can’t sustain steady production over the long term.
Projected starting lineup: PG Stephen Curry — SG Moses Moody — SF Gui Santos — PF Draymond Green — C Kristaps Porzingis.
The Porzingis gamble
It’s been the burning question since the Warriors acquired him from Atlanta in exchange for Jonathan Kuminga and Buddy Hield on Feb. 5.
The Latvian big man has appeared in just 17 games for the Hawks this season, still recovering from postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS) and dealing with an achilles injury. Out of the 859 games he’s been eligible to play in his career, Porzingis has appeared in 518 — just over 60% of the possible total.
But when he is playing, he's everything the Warriors have ever asked from a big man. He's averaged 19.6 points, 7.7 rebounds and 1.8 blocks while shooting 36.6% from deep over his 10-year career. He was selected in the NBA All-Rookie First Team in 2015–16, is a one-time All-Star (2018) and won an NBA championship with Boston in 2024.
The attribute the Warriors have been craving — and the one he provides — can’t be taught: size. Standing at 7-foot-2, Porzingis would bring much-need rim protection along with a lob threat on the other end. Something the Warriors haven't really had since Andrew Bogut in 2015–16.
Plus, his shooting and ability to punish mismatches would open up the floor, giving Steph more room to operate — and fewer double-teams, since selling out to stop him can basically decide the game for the opponent.
Rotation decisions are coming
A coach usually goes with an eight-man rotation come playoff time, but Kerr has shown a willingness to extend that group to ten — but still, some players will be left out.
Assuming Curry, Moody, Podziemski, Melton, Santos, Green, Horford, and Porzingis are healthy, they should form the core eight. That leaves two spots, with four legitimate contenders: Spencer, Gary Payton II, Post and rookie Will Richard.
Spencer has been a pleasant and welcoming surprise this season, averaging 13.1 points, 4.3 rebounds and 5.7 assists in games where he’s played at least 24 minutes — production that earned him a standard NBA contract on Feb. 7.
Payton has been inconsistent for most of the year, posting just 5.3 points, 3.2 rebounds and 1.6 assists in the 50 games he’s played, and he's already been out of the rotation on multiple occasions. But he has playoff experience — and that could make a difference if younger, unseasoned players are struggling in late April.
Post has seen a major dip in his minutes over the last four games, logging just 7.1 per game (fewest on the team), which has coincided with Horford’s late surge. Post did start 32 games this season, averaging 7.7 points and 3.8 rebounds in 17.0 minutes in those starts. But the arrival of Porzingis will likely impact his role and could even reduce him to a situational, utility player.
The rookie out of Florida, Richard, has been a revelation this season. His defensive intensity has stood out — he ranks second on the team in total steals (57) despite playing just over 19 minutes per game. He’s also proven he can be a threat offensively, highlighted by a 30-point outburst against Sacramento on Nov. 5. The emergence of Spencer and the return of Curry will likely cut into his playing time. But one thing is certain: when he plays, he goes all-out.
Steve Kerr might stick to a 10 or even 12-man rotation for the rest of the regular season, as he’s done at times. But sooner or later, tough decisions will have to be made.
The Warriors face the Celtics (35–19) on Thursday night -- a great test to begin their post-break playoff push.