In today’s Dub Hub:
- Steve Kerr says he’s committing to a starting lineup of Steph Curry, Moses Moody, Jimmy Butler, Draymond Green, and Quinten Post.
- Steve Kerr calls Joe Lacob responding to a frustrated fan’s email “not a big deal.”
- Knicks beat Spurs in NBA Cup Finals, 124-113, Jalen Brunson named MVP.
It feels like the Golden State Warriors’ starting lineup has been in a constant state of flux in recent years, and this season has been no different.
Over the past nine games alone, head coach Steve Kerr has rolled out nine different starting lineups. Injuries and availability have played a major role in that instability, but it now appears Kerr may have landed on a group he’s comfortable with — at least for the time being — featuring Steph Curry, Moses Moody, Jimmy Butler, Draymond Green, and Quinten
Post.
This starting lineup is more traditional than what the Warriors have typically rolled out in the past. Starting Post at center gives the team added size and rebounding while also preserving Green’s minutes at the five for when they need it the most late in games. On top of that, Post’s shooting threat, combined with Moody’s spacing, opens the floor for Curry and Butler to operate more freely.
This specific lineup has appeared in six games this season and has a plus-minus of minus-7, according to NBA.com. Most recently, it was the starting group in Sunday’s 136-131 loss to the Portland Trail Blazers, where they were outscored 29–28 during their nine minutes on the floor together.
Whether this lineup sticks remains to be seen, especially with health and matchups always looming as variables. But for a team that has spent much of the season searching for rhythm, even a temporary sense of consistency matters.
For more on this and other news around the NBA, here is our latest news round-up for Wednesday, December 17th:
Warriors News:
Why Steve Kerr is committed to keeping Warriors’ starting lineup consistent | NBC Sports Bay Area
Moody and Post making shots from deep is imperative for the lineup to work. Moody missed four open threes in the first half Sunday and then made two of his four in the second half to wind up with 12 points. Post scored 11, going 4 of 9 from the field and 3 of 6 on threes.
For years, the Warriors have thrived using Green as a small-ball center. But the 6-foot-6 veteran can only take so much at 35 years old, and Kerr believes the give and take of having a 7-foot center that can stretch the floor like Post next to him is a benefit the Warriors have to lean into.
The sub-.500 Warriors aren’t getting enough from Jimmy Butler, and once again there’s an excuse | CBS Sports
Butler is too happy to operate, particularly in the half court, just like every other part of the Steph support staff, cutting into the space that Curry’s movement creates, thriving in the cracks, et cetera. To truly lighten Curry’s load, he has to actually create offense for himself, and more, actually finish that offense rather than dipping his toe into the water and quickly deciding its too cold to take the plunge. The Warriors rank dead last in paint points per game, a deficiency that Butler was supposed to specifically address.
I once had a scout describe Butler as one of the league’s most “careful” superstars and I’ve never thought of a better way to describe it. If you only look for the safe shots, you’re not going to find very many. Which is fine for a role player. But Butler is supposed to be a star. He’s certainly being paid like one.
Steve Kerr says Joe Lacob’s response to a fan’s email is ‘not a big deal’
NBA News:
Adam Silver: Decision on NBA expansion will be made in 2026 | ESPN
“As I’ve said before, domestic expansion, as opposed to doing a new league in Europe, is selling equity in this current league. If you own 1/30 of this league, now you own 1/32 if you add two teams. So it’s a much more difficult economic analysis. In many ways, it requires predicting the future.
“I think now we’re in the process of working with our teams and gauging the level of interest and having a better understanding of what the economics would be on the ground for those particular teams and what a pro forma would look like for them, and then sometime in 2026 we’ll make a determination.”
Knicks’ Jalen Brunson named NBA Cup MVP
In case you missed it at Golden State of Mind:
Pat Spencer to miss Warriors’ game vs. the Suns
With Spencer’s status as a two-way-contract player, Spencer has a 50-game limit on the Warriors’ active roster list. He has already used up 27 of his allotted 50, which means he has 23 games left before he is unable to be considered on the active roster. With Spencer missing Thursday, the Warriors will not be listing him on the active roster, which means Spencer’s allotted games played will remain the same — extending his stay with the team.
Follow @unstoppablebaby on X for all the latest news on the Golden State Warriors.
