OKLAHOMA CITY – With so much talk about the defensive strategy of the Warriors, Oklahoma City coach Billy Donovan is hinting at the possibility of a lineup change before Game 3 of the Western Conference Finals.
The Warriors have been sagging off starting guard Andre Roberson, allowing the free defender – usually Draymond Green – to play the ball or the passing lanes or blitz star forward Kevin Durant on the perimeter.
The move was a key element in the Warriors’ Game 2 victory, which is why Donovan is at least exploring his options.
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“Yeah, I'm not really sure yet,” Donovan said after practice Saturday. “I think we'll sit down and talk. I never really like to get – somebody comes in here in shootaround (Sunday), tweaks an ankle, something happens.
“I never like to say a day out who's going to start the game. I think we need to wait and see the way things play out tomorrow.”
Should Donovan make a change for Game 3 on Sunday, the most likely replacement would be either Dion Waiters or Randy Foye, each of whom provides more of a scoring threat. Such a change, however, would compromise the OKC defense, as Roberson is a superior defender.
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“Obviously we'll meet tomorrow to confirm who will definitely start tomorrow,” Donovan said. “But I've got confidence in all those guys in terms of what they can do and what they can provide for our team.”
There is at least one more factor for Donovan to consider: Roberson over the first two games of the series is shooting 62.5 percent, but has gotten only eight shots.