Steph Curry and the Golden State Warriors have played well with their new-look roster. After moving on from Klay Thompson, the team has been collecting young talent to build around Curry and Draymond Green. For the most part, it has gone well. The team is 12-7 and was the first team to clinch a spot in the knockout rounds of the NBA Cup. However, they have been employing a unique strategy. Steve Kerr has been playing a rotation of up to 12 players every night. Players are constantly going in and out. After last night’s loss to the Phoenix Suns, Curry expressed a desire to have the rotation trimmed.
Golden State Warriors Steph Curry On Inflated Rotation
In Saturday’s game, all 13 players who were active for the Golden State Warriors saw minutes. A normal NBA rotation during the regular season is at most ten players and usually eight or nine. While there are some good things about a large rotation, we saw some of the downsides in Saturday’s loss. When Curry was on the floor, the Warriors outscored the Suns by four points. The team lost 113-105. Curry only played 33 minutes. After the loss, he had this to say about the rotation.
“It is hard for anybody to try to get a rhythm… that’s tough. We are a unique team; it’s a unique situation. I don’t think it’s ever been done in the league. But it’s an 82-game schedule. You got to figure out what adjustments you need to make. To your question, do we need to shorten it? We probably need to be more predictable on a night-to-night basis so guys can get a little bit of a rhythm. Is that shortening it one or two guys? Maybe.”
Steph Curry brings up the downsides of a large rotation. The game of basketball is often about rhythm, and if players sit for too long, they can get out of sync. Furthermore, the players on the court cannot gel when there is a carousel of players going in and out. Kerr is a smart coach and will likely have discussions with Curry and his staff to figure out what is best for the team.
Benefit Of Depth
While some may see this as an alarming comment, I think what the Golden State Warriors are doing is a good thing. First, injuries happen. Having players who can confidently come into the game at any point of the season is a good thing. Too often, players come in having played no minutes in the regular season, and it takes them time to get acclimated. This won’t be an issue for the Warriors.
Second, the Golden State Warriors do not care about the regular season. They want to try and get one more championship out of Steph Curry. He has to be healthy to make that happen. Reducing his minutes in the regular season is what needs to happen. Furthermore, having players who are confident come playoff time will be vital. Kerr could have the option to play certain players in certain matchups. Depth is a good thing for this team.
Final Thoughts
As long as the Golden State Warriors keep winning, the rotation being large isn’t a hinderence. Sure, the team may lose games like they did last night, but if it leads to a championship, no one will care. Steph Curry still has plenty left in the tank and showed in the Olympics he can still take over games. The NBA Cup will be a good litmus test. Will Kerr trim the rotation for the tournament or stick with his guns?
