On Wednesday night, the Warriors had a big win against the Blazers with 14 players hitting the court.
Coach Kerr’s New Strategy:
In typical fashion, teams bring in more players when they’re winning by a lot. The Warriors did just that, beating Portland 139-104. But Steve Kerr, the coach, said he plans to keep using 12 players regularly, even though most teams only use about 10. “We’re going to do it,” Kerr shared through Anthony Slater from The Athletic. “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 next, we’re going to find guys and combinations that really work.”
Decisions Behind the Deep Lineup:
Kerr decided on this approach earlier in the week after telling Lindy Waters and Gui Santos they wouldn’t be part of this rotation. Initially thinking of sticking with ten players, new team members like De’Anthony Melton and Buddy Hield changed his mind. “Two days ago, I was thinking maybe I’ll play 10… I couldn’t justify that because they’ve all played really well in camp,” Kerr explained.
Comparisons with Past Teams:
Some experts think this year’s Warriors are like their teams from a decade ago who used lots of players each game under their motto “Strength in numbers.” While this could be effective again now, there’s concern it might slow down young talents like Jonathan Kuminga and Brandin Podziemski from getting more playtime.
Fans wonder if using so many players is good or bad for developing young stars.
On Wednesday’s game specifically: Podziemski played for 25 minutes off the bench; Kuminga got 20 minutes as starting small forward — making it unlikely either will average over half an hour per game throughout this season.
