Warriors Roll Out Desperation Lineup Against Nuggets Amid 0-3 Start

The Golden State Warriors are officially in the throw-things-at-the-wall phase of the season, and it is only October. Head coach Steve Kerr is rolling out a Monday night starting five of Stephen Curry, Brandin Podziemski, Gui Santos, Lendeborg, and Draymond Green against the Denver Nuggets.

Starting Santos and a rookie alongside the greatest shooter of all time is the kind of desperation move you make in a video game when half your roster is suspended. It is a jarring reality check for a franchise that used to strike fear into the league before the opening tip.

"Lineup alert: Warriors will start Curry, Podziemski, Santos, Lendeborg, Green on Monday. (Underdog NBA)"

The panic is mathematically justified. Golden State is sitting at a miserable 0-3 with a -11.4 net rating that ranks 25th in the NBA. Curry is still doing his part by averaging 23.5 points per game, but he is currently operating as a one-man band playing to an empty room.

Santos is jumping straight into the fire after dealing with a minor knee injury over the weekend. Meanwhile, Lendeborg has been a bright spot on the glass with 8.3 rebounds per night, but asking this makeshift frontcourt to survive a road game in the Denver altitude is a massive request.

Bettors trying to make sense of this rotation should note that the Warriors are 0-3 against the spread to start the year. They just surrendered 131 points to the Phoenix Suns, and their defense currently looks like a turnstile with a broken latch.

If this lineup experiment gets run off the floor by the Nuggets, Golden State will drop to 0-4 before having to pack up and face the Minnesota Timberwolves on Wednesday. Kerr is desperately searching for a spark, but right now, he is just playing with matches.