The Golden State Warriors have a new injury concern following Friday's disappointing loss to the Portland Trail Blazers, having been without Al Horford in the fourth-quarter due to hamstring tightness.
Despite the potential absence of Horford as part of their center rotation for Monday's game against Utah Jazz, Steve Kerr and the Warriors could be set for another frustrating starting lineup change with the re-insertion of second-year big Quinten Post.
Warriors could change their starting lineup yet again
After starting a small-ball lineup for the sixth-straight game on Friday, Kerr removed rookie guard Will Richard at the start of the second-half in favor of Post. That was largely done in order to combat Portland's size and activity on the glass, and in particular Donovan Clingan who had 13 points and eight rebounds in the first-half alone.
Post had some impact early in the second-half as the Warriors built an 11-point lead halfway through the third-quarter, but Portland's 62-38 differential on the glass (including 21-8 in offensive rebounds) proved the difference in battling back for a four-point win.
The inability to settle on a starting lineup over the past couple of years has been a constant source of frustration for Golden State fans, with that set to continue as Kerr contemplates bringing Post back in going forward.
"It's a concern (the lack of size). We have been playing relatively small lineups with Draymond (Green) at the five. We’ll think about going back to Quinten to get more size out there. That’s definitely a possibility," Kerr said following the 127-123 loss.
Having Post back in the starting lineup isn't frustrating within itself, and might even be the right decision based on the positive numbers the Warriors have with both he and Green on the floor together.
But it's the constant back-and-forth that's growing in annoyance. It's simply not what good teams do, and Golden State have little chance of being a consistently elite team until it's rectified. Just look at the top two in the Western Conference -- the Oklahoma City Thunder and Denver Nuggets -- who have settled starting lineups when healthy.
The other question is what happens with the center rotation if Post starts and Horford is out? Post will undoubtedly play more than the 15 minutes he's averaged so far this season, while it may also open an opportunity for Trayce Jackson-Davis who even saw brief second-half minutes on Friday as Kerr tried to address the rebounding problem.
The Warriors have questions coming from all directions following three-straight losses, but the starting lineup uncertainty might be the most pressing as they look to get back on track amid their current home-stand.