The Warriors have to organize their next offense before they know when its best-known scorer will be back. Thursday brought confirmation of Curry’s oblique injury and a two-week reevaluation plan. That checkpoint leaves Golden State with basketball decisions to make now, particularly because another guard, Brandon Williams, is out with a left hamstring strain.
The answer should be shared work rather than a ceremonial replacement. Podziemski, Melton and Green are already part of the team that has to play these games. None needs to be introduced as the new Curry. Golden State needs a combination that can begin possessions, make the next pass and find enough scoring without repeatedly waiting for the absent player to supply it.
Wednesday’s 115-108 defeat at Houston provides some concrete starting points. Green had seven assists. Melton supplied four, alongside 11 points and three made 3-pointers.
That is passing from two different players within the existing group. It does not establish who initiated every possession or reveal a preferred alignment, but it gives a proposal for distributed responsibility more substance than simply naming whoever happens to be the next guard on the roster.
Green’s seven assists are a reason to keep him involved in that proposal. They are not a reason to hand him every organizing task. Golden State still needs his other contributions, and concentrating the entire offense in one player would create another dependency before the first has been addressed.
The sensible ambition is to preserve his passing contribution while asking the guards around him to take a share of the decisions.
Melton offers scoring alongside his passing. He made three of seven attempts from beyond the arc against Houston and finished with four assists. Those are different forms of production from the same appearance, which is why giving him a share of the additional work is a defensible option.
One game does not make him the automatic choice to start, and Golden State has announced no such lineup decision. He has, however, already provided something in both columns.
Podziemski belongs in the discussion as well. He started against Houston and now faces a team situation in which Curry and Williams are both unavailable. The opportunity is obvious without inventing a new workload for him.
More of the offense may have to pass through the available guards, but that should follow how the combination functions rather than the appeal of putting one name in Curry’s place on a lineup card.
There is also a danger in making the best remaining scorer carry the entire organizational burden. Lendeborg produced 25 points and 10 rebounds in Houston but recorded no assists. That does not mean he cannot pass; it describes what he contributed that night.
