As many as 14 Warriors checked into the opening-night victory against the Blazers on Wednesday night, with a dozen of those players clocking double-digit minutes.
Typically, coaches empty the bench in blowout games, which was the case with Golden State routing Portland by a margin of 139-104. However, Warriors head coach Steve Kerr revealed after the game that he plans to continue using a 12-man rotation going forward in a league where it’s customary to play no more than 10.
“We’re going to do it,” Kerr said, via The Athletic’s Anthony Slater. “I’ve never played 12 before, but we’re going to do it. It’s not easy. It’s not easy on anybody, but we just have to trust that from one night to the next, we’re going to find guys and combinations that really work. And the guys have to understand that some night it’s their night, and some nights it’s not.”
Kerr said he made the call to field a deep lineup Monday when he told Lindy Waters and Gui Santos that they weren’t going to be in the rotation. The longtime Golden State coach was initially considering a 10-man rotation, but the Warriors’ offseason acquisitions — De’Anthony Melton, Buddy Hield and Kyle Anderson — have forced his hand.
“Two days ago, I was thinking maybe I’ll play 10 and just have to tell two of these guys they’re going to sit. I couldn’t justify that because they’ve all played really well in camp,” Kerr added.
Many analysts have compared the 2024-25 iteration of the Warriors to the 2013-14 and 2014-15 teams that lived by the “Strength in numbers” mantra and routinely had up to 10 players in the rotation. While the strategy could work, Kerr faces the danger of stunting the growth of prized young stars such as Jonathan Kuminga and Brandin Podziemski, who were expected to take on bigger roles this season.
On Wednesday, Podz played 25 minutes off the bench, while Kuminga logged 20 as the starting small forward. If Kerr continues his 12-man rotation, it’s hard to foresee either youngster averaging 30 minutes per game this season.
