Steve Kerr is leaning toward a smaller starting lineup when the Golden State Warriors face the Los Angeles Lakers to open the regular season on Oct. 21.
The Warriors coach said Monday that Stephen Curry, Brandin Podziemski, Gui Santos, Yaxel Lendeborg and Draymond Green are his preferred group for now.
Steve Kerr says Kristaps Porzingis will be at Chase Center tomorrow to meet with the medical staff. No other updates yet @NBCSWarriors
For now, Steve Kerr is leaning towards a starting five of Curry, Podziemski, Santos, Lendeborg and Green on opening night pic.twitter.com/CpLereH8BL
— Dalton Johnson (@DaltonJ_Johnson) October 12, 2026
That would put Green at center and leave Al Horford available off the bench. Kerr has not made the arrangement final, but his comments give the Lakers a clearer picture of the opponent they could see on opening night.
The question for Los Angeles is how to defend that group while taking advantage of its own size. Going smaller would not automatically require JJ Redick to do the same.
Why Steve Kerr is leaning toward Draymond Green at center
Kerr’s explanation focused partly on how to distribute his centers’ minutes.
Kerr said a reserve role would make it easier to manage Horford around a target of 20 minutes per game. He also wants one of Horford or Green available to organize the defense as often as possible.
“I also like the idea of having Draymond or Al on the court as often as possible to anchor our defense,” Kerr said. “So yeah, I’m leaning that way.”
That means the proposed starting lineup is also a decision about what happens after the first substitutions. Using Green and Horford in different stretches could give Golden State continuity at center rather than requiring both to sit at the same time.
Kristaps Porzingis remains another variable. He is scheduled to meet with the Warriors’ medical and performance staff Tuesday at Chase Center.
Kerr had not ruled him out for the regular-season opener. For the Lakers, the practical takeaway is to prepare for multiple frontcourt arrangements.
Kerr has indicated a preference, but Los Angeles cannot assume that Tuesday’s medical discussions or the remaining preseason games will leave every part of Golden State’s plan unchanged.
The Lakers have already faced this Warriors starting five
Golden State used Curry, Podziemski, Santos, Lendeborg and Green to start its 124-98 preseason victory over Los Angeles on Oct. 6.
Lendeborg scored 17 points, while Curry and Podziemski each finished with 16. The Warriors recorded 32 assists on 41 made field goals and shot 15-of-35 from 3-point range.
Those are team totals, not statistics for the five starters sharing the floor. They nevertheless provide a concrete example of the offensive production the Lakers will be trying to limit when these teams meet again.
There is also a major qualification: Luka Doncic, Austin Reaves and Walker Kessler did not play in that game.
Their absence makes the final margin a poor basis for projecting the regular-season matchup. The Lakers have yet to test that particular Warriors group with all three of those players available together.
A healthy Doncic-Reaves backcourt would present different defensive assignments for Golden State.
Kessler would give Los Angeles another option for protecting the basket and finishing possessions, while creating a different screening and rebounding matchup at the other end.
The useful preseason comparison is therefore more specific than the score. Los Angeles can examine where the Warriors generated assists, how its defenders handled movement and which possessions ended without a rebound.
Those questions remain relevant even when the personnel changes.
JJ Redick still has lineup decisions of his own
The Lakers’ opening group was not settled when Redick discussed it Sunday.
Redick was still evaluating the two starting positions alongside Doncic, Reaves and Kessler. Redick cited the difficulty of assessing combinations while players were dealing with injuries.
“We’ve certainly seen glimpses of the things we like,” Redick said. “It’s hard because we’ve just been a little disjointed with the guys being banged up, so there’s nothing definitive yet.”
Kerr’s preference gives that evaluation a specific matchup to consider. The Lakers will need players who can stay involved defensively away from the ball without losing their responsibilities near the rim.
There is a tradeoff in any response. Adding size can help Los Angeles contest shots and collect rebounds, but those benefits diminish if the group cannot contain the initial action.
Choosing a more mobile combination may change the coverage options while placing a greater rebounding burden on everyone.
Redick has already explained why he wants two bigger wings around the Lakers’ backup center. Speaking Saturday, he identified Doncic, Adou Thiero and Sandro Mamukelashvili as examples while discussing rebounding in minutes without Kessler.
That concern has a recent statistical basis. In the Lakers’ 114-110 victory over Sacramento on Thursday, the Kings collected 20 offensive rebounds and finished with a 46-39 advantage in total rebounds.
The Kings’ result does not establish what Golden State will do. It does show why the Lakers cannot evaluate their own combinations solely by scoring or by whether they force an initial miss.
Against a smaller opponent, securing the ball is also the first step toward making a size advantage useful. A defensive possession is not finished until the Lakers can move into their offense.
Tuesday’s game will offer another look before opening night
The teams meet again Tuesday in Las Vegas before their regular-season opener.
Golden State’s available personnel will differ from a full-strength rotation. Horford did not scrimmage and will not travel, with Kerr describing the absence as maintenance.
Also, Curry is expected to play some second-half minutes for the first time this preseason.
That could extend the Lakers’ opportunity to evaluate their defense against Curry beyond the opening half. Horford’s absence, however, means the game cannot fully demonstrate the center rotation Kerr described Monday.
For Redick, the most useful information will come from how his available combinations handle those assignments: staying connected through screens, limiting breakdowns away from the ball and finishing stops.
Kerr has supplied an early indication of Golden State’s opening-night approach. The Lakers’ remaining work is to determine which of their own combinations can meet that challenge.
