SAN FRANCISCO — Wilson Chandler and Kenneth Faried, both 6-foot-8 forwards, will “probably be” Denver’s starting frontcourt in Friday’s Game 3, coach George Karl said at shootaround. Center Kosta Koufos has been ineffective, and Karl has faith in Chandler spending some time on Golden State’s 7-footer Andrew Bogut.
It’s surprising that a No. 3 seed will drastically change up its lineup in the postseason, but Koufos has struggled in the pick-and-roll defense and is just 2-for-8 from the field. Chandler, though not a traditional low-post defender, has the athleticism and grit to defend Bogut and, more importantly, defend the dreaded pick-and-roll.
“We just want to take away their pick-and-roll, we got killed last game,” Chandler said at Sports Club/LA in downtown San Francisco. “So we’re going to try to change it up. … We just have to match their intensity, come out and be physical, if not more physical. I need to get more hits.”
The series is tied 1-1 with Game 3 on Friday and Game 4 on Sunday at Oracle Arena in Oakland, Calif.
“I just think we need to find our flow, make some shots and not overreact,” Karl said. “But we’re not losing because of our offense, we’re losing because of our defense.”
Chandler said he started once before at center, in a 2009-10 game for New York. Asked how it went, he said, “Not really well.” Then again, it was against Dwight Howard.
Benjamin Hochman: 303-954-1294, bhochman@denverpost.com or
