5-5! That is the record secured by the Golden State Warriors and the Brooklyn Nets over the last 10 games in which they went up against each other. A combination of luck and skill seems to have favored Stephen Curry and co more during the recent games. In fact, the last time the two teams met, the Bay Area squad could even overcome Cam Thomas’s 40-point outburst to drive their team to victory. Therefore, the upcoming matchup at the Chase Center will be highly anticipated. Unfortunately, in the quest to take a lead on the win record, both teams will have to face off without a few key players.

According to the Golden State Warriors Injury Report highlighted by ESPN, Jonathan Kuminga holds a ‘Day-To-Day’ status. This means that his final availability status will be a game-time decision. They won’t make it known until a few hours remain in the game’s commencement. NBA reporter Anthony Slater also confirmed the same. He listed the player’s status as ‘Questionable.’ The Warriors signed Quinten Post in September under a two-way contract, and he will be out due to his commitment to play for the G-League.

Meanwhile, De’Anthony Melton sustained an ACL Sprain when going up against the Dallas Mavericks two weeks ago. The medical team set the shooting guard/point guard to go through surgery to treat the ailment. So, they will rule him out for the remainder of the ongoing tournament.

Jonathan Kuminga was an unexpected and late addition to the Injury Report prior to the Warriors-Spurs matchup. Up till that point, he had been amongst the most consistent players of the season. After all, he had played in all 15 of his team’s 15 games. However, they listed him as questionable after he developed an unspecified illness. Eventually, the player did not turn up to take on Victor Wembanyama and Co.

Whether it was the 22-year-old’s absence or not, the Warriors recorded their 2 loss in 7 games. Not just any team, but the one occupying the bottom part of the points table for two previous seasons. Therefore, in Kuminga’s absence, luck may not have favored the Warriors when they go up against the Brooklyn Nets too.

Speaking of the Brooklyn Nets, however, they are in a more precarious position than their rivals. According to their Injury Report, Dorian Finney-Smith remains in the ‘OUT’ category. Finney-Smith dealt with a lingering left ankle sprain and was earlier listed as ‘questionable’. Bojan Bogdanovic and Day’Ron Sharpe also hold the ‘OUT’ status.

Meanwhile, Dennis Schroder and Ziaire Williams hold ‘Day-To-Day’ status. Schroder missed his first game of the ongoing season when his right ankle soreness sat him out against the Sacramento Kings. Despite this, the Nets managed to win by 108-103. However, the franchise won’t get too far without their 3 highest leading scorer of this season.

On a positive note, the Injury Report no longer contains Cam Thomas’ name. The shooting guard/small forward was earlier listed as ‘probable.’ Despite this, 3 of the top 6 leading scorers may not be there to go up against the Warriors.

With these injury updates, both teams must make adjustments to their starting lineups for the matchup.

What will the starting lineup and depth chart for the Warriors-Nets clash look like?

According to RotoWire, in case Jonathan Kuminga does not make it for the Warriors-Nets clash, then Moses Moody and Kyle Anderson can see their playtime increase. Having played in all 16 games, and started in 4, Moody has averaged 8.3 points, 2.1 rebounds, and 1 assist. Meanwhile, Anderson has averaged 5.1 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 2.5 assists over the course of 15 games. Their collective effort may not provide much on the offensive front. However, it may be enough to assist Stephen Curry and Buddy Hield in easing the pressure. In light of this update, we can expect the starting lineup for the Mavericks to look something like this:

In regards to Dennis Schroder, the players who can see their playtime increase include Ben Simmons, Ziaire Williams, and Keon Johnson.

Taking this into consideration, we expect the starting lineup for the Lakers to look something like this:

The Golden State Warriors or the Brooklyn Nets? Who will you be rooting for during the upcoming matchup? Let us know in the comments down below.