Kerr showcases the Warriors’ depth with a 12-man rotation in the opening game

PORTLAND, Ore. – Gary Payton II and Kyle Anderson sat at the scorer’s table with three minutes left in the first quarter of the Golden State Warriors’ season opener against the Portland Trail Blazers on Wednesday night.

Just nine minutes into the game, the Warriors’ 10th and 11th men were checking in. Moses Moody was there at the start of the second quarter, meaning 12 players had seen the field.

Throughout training camp, the Warriors had boasted about their strength. Warriors coach Steve Kerr has said repeatedly that he believes there are 13 players who deserve rotation minutes, emphasizing the tough decisions he has to make to shrink his rotation.

But the night before the team’s opening game, Kerr decided not to limit the number of players.

“This is as strong a team as I’ve ever coached, and we have to embrace that,” Kerr said after the Warriors’ 139-104 win. “I’ve never played 12 before, but we’ll get there.

“I thought maybe I’ll just play 10 and we’ll have to tell two of these guys to sit. But I just couldn’t justify it.”

Golden State started a lineup that included Stephen Curry, Andrew Wiggins, Jonathan Kuminga, Draymond Green and Trayce Jackson-Davis, a group that Kerr said he would like to have in the starting five this season.

Buddy Hield was the first to come off the bench, followed by Kevon Looney and Brandin Podziemski. Next came Melton and Anderson and then Moody.

“It’s the identity of this team right now,” Curry said. “We’re going to rely on our depth.”

Curry said the only team he could think of that had comparable strength was the 2014-15 Warriors, whose slogan was “strength in numbers.” But even that team only had an 11-man rotation.

“This is the deepest team I’ve ever been on,” Wiggins said.

On Wednesday, seven players scored in double figures, led by Hield, who scored 22 points on 8 of 12 shooting in 15 minutes, including five 3-pointers. According to ESPN Research, this is the most points scored by a Warriors player in 15 or fewer minutes since 1984.

“Without Klay we had to shoot. Well, we had to shoot anyway,” Curry said. “We know his abilities. We know what he’s capable of. So far the transition has been very seamless.”

Wiggins added 20 points and Curry nearly achieved a triple-double with 17 points, 10 assists and 9 rebounds.

The Warriors made 20 3-pointers and no player surpassed Curry’s team-best 25 minutes.

Because the Warriors emphasize playing at a fast pace – they scored 30 points in transition against Portland – they believe their depth and ability to run an almost hockey-style rotation will allow them to get ahead of opponents to be “overwhelming”. Hield called it a continuous “wave” of players.

Some nights the rotation can shrink depending on the matchup. And there is also agreement that a player will slide to the bench on nights when he is unable to play.

“You have to have a commitment – no plans, no egos or healthy egos where you know you’re supposed to be out there, but if you’re not, you don’t bring the team down with your energy.” said Curry. “I didn’t see any warning signs of that.”

Curry defined a healthy ego as always believing you are an effective player, but also having enough humility to know when it’s not your night and, most importantly, not let it affect yours to have an effect on the setting. The Warriors believe there has been a mutual understanding since the team left for training camp in Hawaii earlier this month, when Kerr said there would be healthy competition for playing time.

At the time, he hoped the competition would create their identity. At the moment it is like this.