The loss to Memphis shows that the Dubs need some time to adjust to life with Klay Thompson. It’ll be worth the struggle.
The Warriors used 26 different five-man lineups in Tuesday’s game against the Grizzlies. Not a single lineup played more than eight minutes together.
Such experimentation was to be expected. Thompson is experimenting, too — figuring out what he can and cannot do at this juncture of his recovery. The Grizzlies showed it on Tuesday. They wanted to lull the Warriors into the alley for a fistfight. Ja Morant, Memphis’ spectacular point guard, might push the pace on his own, but that stands as a counter to the way Memphis wants to play. They want to be slow. The Warriors want to be fast. The Warriors struggled to win that battle.