Steve Kerr’s bold rotation plan and 3 key takeaways from the Warriors’ dominant start

SAN FRANCISCO– Things went like as they could have for the Golden State Warriors in their first five games, especially given the schedule. Five games in eight nights, including two road games and two back-to-back legs, the Warriors are thrilled to open their season 4-1 with a 98-78 win over the Los Angeles Clippers.

“I couldn’t be more proud of the guys,” Kerr said after the Warriors’ win over the Clippers. “Not just to go 4-1, but to really establish what we want to be and how we want to operate. It’s just been a hell of eight days, and now obviously we have to hit the road and continue to get better.”

Golden State looked like a strong contender at the start of its quest for another title, with over four Western Conference rivals making the playoffs last season.

Stephen Curry, Draymond Greenand Jimmy Butler was their heartbeatof course. But they found valuable contributions from a young core. Jonathan Cummingahas grown to entry-level, with room for even more. Moses Moody and Brandin Podziemski continue to add to their skills around the stars. The 39-year-old Al Horford has changed the way this team can function thanks to his spacing and defensive versatility. Even second-rounders like Quinten Post and Will Richard are finding ways to be positive in ways that don’t show up in the stats.

The Warriors have something coming up. Whether that’s championship-level potential remains to be seen at the start of the season. Regardless, here are five takeaways from Golden State’s strong start to the season that will impact their success moving forward.

What Al Horford’s minutes situation means for starters

Strictly may not be the right word, but Kerr, Horford and the Warriors are certainly committed to managing the veteran centers’ minutes during the season. This means that you should not play both ends consecutively and keep it around 20-25 minutes per game at most. It’s a necessary limitation for Horford’s body management in his 19th NBA season. However, it also creates some interesting rotational questions. Kerr and the coaching staff will have to deal with it game by game and week by week.

Against the Clippers, Kerr opted to start the Post over Horford, which was a surprise to anyone who has not been with the Warriors for the past month.

“This is going to be a pattern for us,” Kerr said after the game. “I really just want to get Al (Horford) off the bench. If he’s going to be 20 minutes, 20 to 25 minutes, I’d rather have him come off the bench and be able to close with him if we need to like him against Denver. So we’ll probably go back and forth between Quentin and BP (Brandin Podziemski) just depending on what the center looks like right now.”

Post was the right answer against Zubac; he was a +34 plus/minus. So the Warriors feel comfortable changing their starting lineup with Horford coming off the bench. There are some questions about Horford’s building chemistry in such limited minutes with all the key guys, but they believe his IQ and experience will alleviate that challenge.

Bottom line, this team will start with Curry, Green, Butler, Cummings and rotate anyone to the fifth spot depending on the matchup.

Jonathan Cumminga and the Warriors found their brown

Through five games, Kuminga seems to have grasped the intricacies of Kerr’s game plan and what the Dubs need from him. He was their primary defender against the opposing team’s perimeter defenders. He matched up with James Harden, Jamal Murray and Ja Morant through this stretch and held his own against an elite guard. It also comes back at a much better speed. 7.4 rebounds per game so far, up from his 4.6 average last season.

“It’s a mindset. There’s no technique that happens that’s been a game-changer,” Kerr said of Cummings’ jump this season.

“It’s just wanting to go get the ball over and over again. He does a phenomenal job of that, and it just changes our team, you can feel it. Then I thought last night he had a couple of plays where he could have shot, instead he went to dribble with Steph (Curry), jumped to the rim, he’s like dunked the ball, he wouldn’t be able to dunk the ball. JK’s game, his approach, his communication with me, with his teammates.

The flashes that made him so tempting and so hard to cut baits stopped being flashes and became one steady beam of light. Whatever or whoever came to him, after a contentious contract negotiation process over the summer, and whatever they told him, has worked so far. We’re at a point where the idea of ​​trading him for another piece seems counterintuitive to what the Warriors need – size, youth and athleticism.

The Jimmy Butler effect is huge

Road Butler changed the Warriors in court it is obvious. He slows the game down, gets to the free throw line and helps them survive minutes without Curry. But he’s also a big reason why young guys like Kuminga have come out early this season. Butler made it a point to take the young guys under his wing when he arrived in the Bay. Look no further than how he talks about wanting to empower Kuminga to be the best version of herself.

“There are so many people that are in his corner. I’m one of them; there are so many other individuals in this organization, on this team, on this coaching staff, that want him to be great,” Butler said. He talked about how he told Kuminga, “it’s okay to make mistakes” and that he’s there to keep him “even.”

It’s hard to believe that the guy who showed up in Golden State, the self-styled “Robin” in Curry’s “Batman,” had concerns about his personality. His influence in the locker room might be more important than on the field. After the Clippers’ win, Butler talked about empowering the young guys and how it turns him on.

“We older guys are on their way out of the league, these new young guys, they have the potential to be great for a very long time,” Butler said. And I think our job is just to be really good vets for them like we’ve had in the past, to set them up for success. (And) give them all the confidence in the world, knowing that some of these key players are going to be the reason we win a championship.”