After a rough start to the season, the Golden State Warriors, are now 5th in the West after the Grizzlies’s defeat on Tuesday. But a team with the likes of Stephen Curry and Jimmy Butler won’t settle for that, will they? With only 7 games remaining in the regular season, the Dubs will want to close out the season on a high. But an injury to their rising star, Jonathan Kuminga, may foil their plans.
With the finals closing in and franchises fighting for the throne, even the slightest disadvantage can spell disaster for a team. And when you’re Steve Kerr’s Warriors? Every team in the league is looking for the slightest chink in your armor. So, how serious is the injury? Will Jonathan Kuminga feature in the Warriors’ upcoming showdown against the LA Lakers?
Golden State Warriors’ injury report—Will Jonathan Kuminga play against the Lakers?
With only 6:59 remaining in the second quarter against the Spurs, Jonathan Kuminga exited the game. The reason? Reportedly, he had a right pelvic contusion, which led to his night ending early. After that, he was listed as ‘QUESTIONABLE’ for the Grizzlies game, before being downgraded to ‘OUT’ right before the game began.
Jonathan Kuminga is still on the QUESTIONABLE state on the injury report ahead of the game against the Lakers. However, whether he plays or not is a game-time decision for coach Kerr. But considering how soon the regular season is getting over, Kerr might just choose to let Kuminga rest and not risk exacerbating his injury. Though there’s still a slim chance that Jonathan will feature against the Lakers.
The same simply cannot be said for Gary Payton II. He is OUT of the Lakers game entirely due to a partially torn ligament in his left thumb. And this injury, while not as severe as it could be, will still keep Payton out for around 3 to 6 weeks. So, he’ll be gone for the first round of the Playoffs for the Warriors, at the least.
And those two are the only players on the Golden State Warriors’ injury report for the Lakers game. So now, with that out of the way, let’s see who will lineup against the Purple and Gold on Thursday.
Golden State Warriors vs Los Angeles Lakers—predicted starting lineup and depth chart
With only two players out for the Dubs, Steve Kerr will have an easy time picking the starting five. Kerr mentioned ahead of Jonathan Kuminga’s return after missing 31 games that he doesn’t really want to tinker with the starting lineup that has seen the Warriors become title contenders since Jimmy Butler’s signing. So, here’s who might play for the Dubs against the Lakers:
POSITION
STARTER
2nd UNIT
3rd UNIT
PG
Stephen Curry
Brandin Podziemski
Pat Spencer
SF
Brandin Podziemski
Buddy Hield
Moses Moody
SF
Moses Moody
Jimmy Butler III
Gui Santos
PF
Jimmy Butler III
Draymond Green
Moses Moody
C
Draymond Green
Quinten Post
Kevon Looney
The Lakers have looked a little shaky as of late. They’re 4-6 in their last 10 and don’t look like the juggernauts they used to be, early in March. So, this is probably the best time for the Dubs to snatch a higher seed by winning their remaining games. However, beating a team with LeBron James and Luka Doncic on it will be much easier said than done. But we know one thing for sure. The Warriors’ upcoming game is set to be a banger!
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