The Golden State Warriors are making changes to their starting lineup three games into the 2024-25 season and Shams Charania’s announcement about it looks very dramatic.

“Breaking News: BENCHED” is a very dramatic way of reporting that Jonathan Kuminga will come off the bench for Tuesday’s home game against the New Orleans Pelicans. The Warriors are missing regular starters Steph Curry and Andrew Wiggins, each nursing an injured ankle and a sore back. They will use masked man Brandin Podziemski and the recently extended Moses Moody in their place, but Steve Kerr is also naming sharpshooter Buddy Hield to the starting lineup in Kuminga’s place.

Kuminga hasn’t started particularly well this season, which is a contract year for him. He averages eight points per game and shoots 1-for-9 from three-point range. But even if the headline suggests a dramatic shift in the Warriors’ feelings toward their young star or a rule violation that landed him on the bench, it’s most likely simply a reaction to matchups.

New Orleans is a strong defensive team whose only offensive threat in the frontcourt is Zion Williamson. They have Daniel Theis and Yves Missi at center, neither of whom require double-teaming or even single-teaming most of the time. The Pelicans’ backup striker is 1.90 meter tall Javonte Green. In other words, the Warriors don’t need size in this matchup. They have to be shot.

That doesn’t mean Kuminga will necessarily be happy with the move, nine months after he said he had “lost confidence” in Steve Kerr giving him consistent playing time. But there is also no reason to view this move as anything more than a temporary decision. The team may also believe that facing the Pelicans’ undermanned bench is exactly what Kuminga needs to get their offense going.

It’s also ironic that the story is still about Kerr benching a young player, even though Kerr is giving Moody a chance in the starting lineup, along with a second-year guard and a second-year center. He might be worried about losing Draymond Green if he has to start alongside four players 24 and younger.

Moody’s is performing well so far, averaging 10 points off the bench and hitting two triples per game at a rate of 40%. Podziemski hasn’t shot well so far, but he doesn’t look like he’s comfortable playing with his protective mask on either. Meanwhile, Hield has been on fire, already sinking 13 three-pointers on 25 attempts this year for a whopping 19 points per game.

We’ll see how the new lineup works on Tuesday night. If the Warriors lose for the second straight year, it’s possible that Moody or Hield will be on the bench for Wednesday, and Shams will definitely come out on top.