**Steve Kerr's Strategy: Utilizing Depth for Warriors' Early Success**

In an impressive display of depth, Steve Kerr leaned into a 12-man rotation during the Golden State Warriors' season-opening 139-104 victory over the Portland Trail Blazers. While maintaining such a deep rotation throughout the entire season may be difficult, Kerr sees the strategic advantages in utilizing the breadth of talent on his roster, especially in the initial phases of the season.

Kerr acknowledges that managing a 12-man rotation long-term isn't practical due to time constraints and the necessity for key players to find their rhythm. However, he envisions eventually narrowing down his primary rotation to about nine or ten players. In the first half of Wednesday’s game, such a future core included Stephen Curry, Draymond Green, Brandin Podziemski, Trayce Jackson-Davis, Buddy Hield, Andrew Wiggins, and Gary Payton II for defensive support. Also in contention for main rotation spots are Jonathan Kuminga, De'Anthony Melton, and Kyle Anderson.

The season opener illustrated why Kerr opted for an extensive rotation—he genuinely has 12 solid players who integrate well in various configurations. "This is as deep a team as I've ever coached, and we've gotta lean into that," Kerr stated post-game. The depth provides strategic flexibility and ensures that sidelining valuable players like Moses Moody, Kevon Looney, GP2, or Kyle Anderson isn't necessary.

One challenge for Kerr is managing Jonathan Kuminga's playing time. Kuminga played significant early minutes as a starter but found limited success, finishing with a neutral plus-minus score despite the team's overall strong performance. Kerr is still navigating how best to utilize Kuminga, balancing his unique skill set with the lineup's need for cohesion and spacing. This often means Kuminga starts but gets substituted early for rotation stability.

While playing his depth, Kerr also benefits from the standout performances of his bench. New additions Hield and Melton have shown promise, adding infiltration and pressure during non-Curry minutes. Hield's sharpshooting and Melton's defensive prowess stand out, providing crucial balance to the team. The Warriors' bench now plays a proactive role, attacking opponents rather than just maintaining the status quo while the stars rest.

Curry's reduced playing time to 25 minutes in the opener aligns with Kerr's goal of limiting him to around 32 minutes per game. This strategy not only aims to preserve Curry’s health and energy for critical moments later in the season but also builds confidence and experience among the backups. Podziemski exemplified this approach, making a significant impact despite not scoring points, as his play contributed to pivotal runs and showcased the value of the plus-minus stat.

By playing to their depth, the Warriors hope to replicate more blowout victories, reducing the need for clutch-time heroics that characterized last season’s nerve-wracking fixtures. Should this strategy remain effective, it could preserve energy and reduce the injury risk for key players, positioning the Warriors for robust health and swift action deeper into the season.