Golden State Warriors: 3 keys for Game 2 of the 2019 NBA Finals

1. Necessary rotation change

With many casual NBA fans asking “Why do the Warriors even need a coach?”, I have your answer.

The Golden State Warriors have one of the trickiest rotations in the NBA. Yet after combating injury after injury in what has been their most grueling postseason, head coach Steve Kerr has done a masterful job. That being said, his job is about to get a lot harder.

With a pivotal piece on the Hampton’s 5 clearly playing injured in Andre Iguodala and no Kevin Durant going into Game 2 and possibly Game 3, the Warriors have been struggling to find a replacement that can hold their own offensively and defensively.

Enter second-year forward Alfonzo McKinnie.

Although he has averaged nearly 11 minutes per game in the playoffs, McKinnie was able to hit big shots throughout the Western Conference Finals where he canned 50.0 percent of his 3-point looks. For Kerr, riding that hot hand would be the smart thing to do.

Sure Shaun Livingston is able to play small forward due to his frame, but McKinnie brings a level of physicality that would help shoulder the gargantuan load that is guarding Kawhi Leonard.

To make matters worse (or better), depending on your perspective, DeMarcus Cousins reintegration into the rotation after an extended absence was a disaster with just three points on 0-of-2 shooting in eight minutes.

Whether or not coach Kerr decides to make any change to his rotations is yet to be seen, but if Golden State goes back to the bay down 0-2, we could see the beginning of the end of the Warriors dynasty.