Why Kerr remains committed to Warriors’ deep rotation after loss

Why Kerr remains committed to Warriors’ deep rotation after loss originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

SAN FRANCISCO – Warriors coach Steve Kerr has fully embraced the idea of going deep into his bench on any given night, a formula that has worked fairly well so far and will be even more important if two-time NBA MVP Stephen Curry’s ankle injury sidelines him for very long.

That depth was a big factor in Golden State winning those first two games. It’ll be an even more important factor depending on how long Curry will be out.

Curry left the Warriors’ 112-104 loss to the Los Angeles Clippers on Monday after aggravating an ankle injury that he sustained earlier in the game. The full extent of the injury won’t be known for certain until Curry undergoes a series of tests on Tuesday.

Obviously the Warriors are a much better team when Curry is healthy and on the court, and they won’t be the same if he’s sidelined for very long.

But with a roster that Kerr has previously referred to as the deepest that he’s coached, the drop-off might not be as bad as it once was.

In the world of cliches, the Warriors are in a next-man-up mentality while they await word on Curry’s condition. In actuality, Kerr had his players in that mentality before the season began and everyone seems to have bought in.

“I kind of like it. It keeps everybody fresh,” Gary Payton II said. “If somebody’s not going, we got another guy to come in and get going. If somebody’s hot, Steve will probably rock with him or rock with that unit.

“You gotta stay ready. You never know what direction he might go in. We got 12 guys so it could be anybody.”

That’s been the pattern that Kerr has used thus far. The Warriors used 13 players in the loss to the Clippers, with 12 of them logging at least 13 ½ minutes of playing time. Against the Utah Jazz on Saturday, Kerr used 14 players with the core 12 getting at least 12:45 minutes of playing time. In the season-opener at Portland two nights before that, Kerr again leaned on 14 players with 12 clocking at least 14 minutes on the court.

While the depth gives Kerr flexibility and options with…

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Author : NBC Sports BayArea

Publish date : 2024-10-28 05:58:00

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