The new-look Golden State Warriors defeated the Portland Trailblazers 139–104 in their season opener.
Throughout training camp, the Warriors had boasted about their depth. Warriors coach Steve Kerr repeatedly said there were 13 players he thought deserved rotational minutes and stressed the difficult decisions he would have to make to shrink his rotation.
“This is as deep of a team as I’ve ever coached, and we’ve got to lean into that,” Kerr said after the win.
“I’ve never played 12 before, but we’re going to do it.
“I was thinking, well, maybe I’ll just play 10 and we’ll have to tell two of these guys that they’re going to sit. But I just couldn’t justify that.”
Golden State started a lineup of Stephen Curry, Andrew Wiggins, Jonathan Kuminga, Draymond Green, and Trayce Jackson-Davis, a group Kerr said he’d like to be the starting five this season.
Buddy Hield was the first off the bench, followed by Kevon Looney and Brandin Podziemski. Next were Melton and Anderson and then Moody.
“It’s the identity of this team right now,” Curry said.
“We’re going to rely on our depth.”
Curry said the only team he could think of that had comparable depth was the 2014–15 Warriors, whose slogan was “strength in numbers.” But even that team had just an 11-man rotation.
Next up for Golden State is a trip to Utah to face the Jazz.
