Steve Kerr says Warriors will continue to have 12-man rotation, taking ‘strength in numbers’ to a new level

“Strength in numbers” has been a Golden State Warriors motto for years, but they’re taking it to an extreme this season. In their season-opening victory against the Portland Trail Blazers on Wednesday, they used a 12-man rotation. Eleven different Warriors took the floor before 11 minutes elapsed. A 12th suited up at the beginning of the second quarter. And, according to coach Steve Kerr, this was — and will continue to be — the plan.

“We’re going to do it,” Kerr told reporters after the 139-104 win. “I’ve never played 12 before, but we’re going to do it. It’s not easy on anybody, but we just have to trust that, from one night to the nexts, we’re going to find guys and combinations that really work.”

Golden State was not the only team to use a deep bench in Game 1. Both the Houston Rockets and Memphis Grizzlies used 11 players in the first quarter. Generally speaking, though, even having that many players in the every-night rotation is tough to manage. If any team was going to try to play 12 guys, though, it makes sense that it would be the Warriors. Their roster is not stacked with stars like it was in, say, 2017, but it is absolutely loaded with proven role players. Had the coaching staff capped the rotation at 10 or 11, it would not have been obvious which of them would’ve been left out. 

Kerr told reporters he deliberated about the subject until the day before the opener. “Two days ago, I was thinking, well, maybe I’ll just play 10 and I’ll just have to tell two of these guys that they’re going to sit,” he said. “And I couldn’t justify that. ‘Cause they’ve all played really well in camp.” He added that he felt bad about Lindy Waters III, who “had a great camp,” being out of the mix.

After much speculation about the starting five, Kerr decided to go with Draymond Green and Trayce Jackson-Davis in the frontcourt and Andrew Wiggins and Jonathan Kuminga on the wing. This lineup doesn’t give Stephen Curry optimal spacing, but at the 6:42 mark in the first quarter, sharpshooter Buddy Hield checked in for Kuminga. About a minute later, Gary Payton II replaced Jackson-Davis, allowing Green to shift to the center spot. About a minute after that, Kevon Looney replaced Green at the 5 and Brandin Podziemski checked in for Wiggins.

When De’Anthony Melton checked in for Curry at the 3:19 mark, Golden State had five reserves on the floor. The Warriors used all-bench lineups to close that quarter, to close the third quarter and to open the fourth. Kyle Anderson and Moses Moody, the 11th and 12th Warriors to enter the game, both logged 15 minutes.

“It feels like everybody we bring in is a really high-level player,” Kerr said. “I can’t imagine there are many teams in the league with more depth than we have, so that’s what we have to lean into.”

Five minutes into Portland game, the Warriors were down 12-3, but they tied it by the end of the first quarter, built a double-digit lead in the second and went on a familiar third-quarter run to break the game open. The rotation worked well enough to blow out the Blazers — Curry and Green got to sit for the final 16 minutes — but it won’t truly be tested until Golden State faces stiffer competition.

“The only way it works is if everybody buys into it,” Kerr said, “and the guys have done that.”

If the Warriors stay healthy enough that they can stick with this for an extended stretch, it might take some getting used to. Certain players will have to play shorter stints and fewer total minutes than they would prefer, and the coaching staff will have to keep a close eye on which player combinations work well together. Regardless of the number of players in the rotation, this roster presents challenges for the coaching staff: It will be tricky to balance spacing with size, athleticism and defense.

In a way, the extended rotation makes it easier for Kerr to find that balance, as he has more tools at his disposal. Inevitably, though, he will have to adjust his scripted substitutions because of foul trouble, an opponent going on a run or any number of other variables. When that happens, he’ll have plenty of options, but none of them will please everybody.