The classic football axiom is that if you might have two quarterbacks capable of beginning a game, you don't even have a starting quarterback
Steve Kerr looks to show things around with the Warriors in 2024-25.
If you might have a 12-man rotation, is there even a rotation?
Last week, the Warriors coach said that reducing the Dubs' rotation to 10 or 11 players was the toughest a part of his job. You could feel the fear the mere thought instilled within the Warriors coach.
So before Wednesday's season opener, Kerr decided to not limit his rotation in any respect. He rolled 12.
After the stunning win in Portland, Kerr's concern wasn't about the potential for having too many cooks within the kitchen, but about his inability to expand the rotation to 13 players to present Lindy Waters an actual run.
In a word: A 12-man rotation is wild.
One option to take a look at it’s on the positive side – take a look at all the great players! – or negative – this team is stuffed with unremarkable options.
I can imagine that opinions will change in consequence of the sport.
But it worked on Wednesday, as Kerr played the complete shift of hockey in a 139-104 win and Steph Curry was capable of miss the second half of the third quarter and all the fourth quarter.
Here are 12 more thoughts on the sport – one for every rotation point.
• This 12-man rotation won't last, but that's as a consequence of inevitable injuries and rest, not the sport.
The presumed reason the Warriors went with 12 players on Wednesday is because they were playing a powerful team and were capable of essentially extend the preseason.
But that will only be the case if it appeared the Warriors were playing for jobs. That's not the sensation I got from Wednesday's competition. Kerr didn't need more time to determine who his top ten players were; Rather, he desires to experiment with how best to make use of 12 players. That's a giant difference and makes the beginning of the season all of the more interesting.
• One such experiment involves finding a option to play Jonathan Kuminga greater than 25 minutes an evening without lining him up next to Draymond Green on the fifth spot. (That's for Green's sake.) The trade-off is strange – Green on the 4, Kuminga at the three (yikes), and Andrew Wiggins at shooting guard.
Even for somebody like me who thinks the position concepts are outdated, it is a hard sell. Conceptually, the Warriors' size with this lineup (Trayce Jackson-Davis and Steph Curry were at the underside) should provide some defensive power, however it's three slashers, a roller and Curry. Is it any surprise that the Dubs opened the sport with a 2:13 win?
I didn't see any defensive benefits with this lineup on Wednesday, but that was only one game.
• Ironically, the “big” lineup Kerr began in was shorter at each position than the Blazers' starting lineup on Wednesday.
• The Warriors desired to dispel the concept that Buddy Hield was dropped at San Francisco to exchange Klay Thompson.
But that, dear friends, is precisely what Hield is.
To be clear: I'm not talking about replacing the All-Star version of Thompson, the most effective two-way players in recent NBA history. No, I'm talking about Thompson post-injury, specifically the version of the long run Hall of Famer we saw last season.
You probably remember how Kerr wanted Thompson to return off the bench because the team's sixth man – the second-unit shooter. It was so well received that Thompson voluntarily moved to Texas.
But Hield is precisely what Kerr desired to be for Thompson. Honestly, it's a job that will actually be perfect for Thompson if only ego didn't get in the way in which.
As far as I can tell, Hield doesn't have these problems. First to be announced, first off the bench or twelfth man, the wing just desires to shoot. Whether it really works or not, he complains. And with the Warriors desirous to flood the stats with 3-point attempts every night (remember after they despised the Houston Rockets' methods?), Hield's temperament is ideal, even when his shot rarely reaches the extent of perfection will achieve what we saw on Wednesday.
• My goodness, did the Warriors blow it on Wednesday? In total, the Dubs made 48 3-pointers, tying the team's most in a four-quarter game last season. (The Warriors had three contests last season by which they made greater than 48 3-pointers; all three games went to at the very least one time beyond regulation.)
• The important chuckers were De'Anthony Melton and Moses Moody with eight. They took a 5:16 lead from the ground. Meanwhile, Andrew Wiggins, Curry and Hield all attempted seven 3-pointers – satirically, Curry had the worst shooting night.
• Of Wiggins' seven three-point attempts, five were shots over the break from the left wing. That's his spot (66 attempts last season), even when he's a greater shooter from the proper wing (20 of 43).
• It was good to see Moody play on Wednesday. The contract extension definitely helped reduce playing time, but his excellent pre-season justified every minute he spent on the pitch. It wasn't an important shooting night for Moody, but he has a good leash from me (at the very least) considering how hot his hand got here into the campaign.
• Wednesday was a tricky game for Kuminga, who made a habit of fumbling the ball under the basket, took several shots early and by some means made up for many of it with a pleasant cut that led to some nice up-and-down play. under layup.
• If the Warriors find themselves at a degree of utmost desperation in a number of months, they might do so much worse than drafting Jerami Grant from the Blazers.
• I don't wish to lose track here, however the 12-man rotation worked on Wednesday. The Warriors' depth won a game by which the starting lineup was slow to return out. Golden State's bench outscored Portland's bench by 33 points. The Warriors won by 35 points.
• Draymond Green received a technical foul on this game for complaining to the referees. Green wasn't improper in his accusation, but he couldn't hold back although the crew gave him loads of opportunity to make his case without repercussions. Everyone's patience has a limit.
I won't proselytize Green or punish him for losing his temper. We have loads of time for that, perhaps even in close games.
Instead, what I need to say is that for all of the preseason speak about how Green must be available to his team and the way he must rein in his emotions to make that occur, it's a transparent, not-safe-for-kids-ears reminder that a Tiger doesn't change his stripes. What makes Green great also makes him a liability for the Warriors – the road between risk and reward is thin and Green plays so hard that he can't help but go over it. It's been happening very often currently.
I even have no problem with that. Maybe I've change into numb to Green. Maybe the nostalgia for the player he once was is just too strong. But let's not pretend that anyone would change or “fix” a person with hundreds of thousands within the bank, 4 rings on his fingers and a gray beard. He is what he’s.
That's the excellent news for the Warriors. That's also the bad news.
Originally published:
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