Yardbarker
x
Al Horford’s arrival forcing Steve Kerr to repeat big mistake that Jimmy Butler fixed for Warriors
Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images

Steve Kerr spoke about the dilemma he faces ahead of the Golden State Warriors’ season opener against the LA Lakers.

As the Golden State Warriors brought an end to their slate of preseason games on Friday night, there are still a lot of questions surrounding the team.

The Warriors will face the Los Angeles Lakers on opening night of the NBA season this coming Tuesday, and as things stand, head coach Steve Kerr has to make some calls.

Despite not playing in Friday night’s game, Kerr confirmed Jimmy Butler would play against the Lakers, citing his presence as crucial to fixing the Warriors’ turnover problem.

But the tricky age concerns around the Warriors’ roster are creating problems for Steve Kerr, as he grapples with a big decision to make ahead of Tuesday night.

Photo by Sam Hodde/Getty Images

Steve Kerr believes Al Horford arrival requires Warriors to have multiple different lineups

Steve Kerr spoke ahead of the Warriors’ opening night fixture against the Los Angeles Lakers. When discussing his starting options at center, Kerr presented his current dilemma.

Due to Al Horford’s age, the Warriors aren’t going to start him at center in every game, and they will play with multiple different lineups.

“The big question for us is how we want to start. Do we start big with Al, or do we want to start small with Draymond at the five, like we finished last year?

“The hard part about starting Al is, at his age, we’re gonna want to limit his minutes and probably play him 20 minutes a night.

“It’s hard to start a guy if you want to play him 20 minutes and finish the game. If he starts and finishes the game, he’s sitting almost the entire middle part of the game, which is very awkward.

“We have to factor Draymond. I don’t want him guarding centers for 82 games. So we might end up with multiple starting lineups.

Golden State Warriors had multiple starting lineups last season, and it led to a collapse

Playing multiple different starting lineups isn’t new to Steve Kerr. In fact, he did that for most of last season.

Prior to the arrival of Jimmy Butler, Steve Kerr tried out 28 different starting lineups in their first 51 games, rotating multiple players in and out.

In those 51 games, the Warriors went 25-26. However, the arrival of Jimmy Butler changed everything for the Warriors. In the remaining 31 games, the Warriors had just 10 different lineups.

That consistency in their rotation allowed them to go 23-8 in their final stretch of the season. Never underestimate the role of consistency in a team’s success.

This is why Steve Kerr’s comments are concerning, as it sounds like he might be making the same mistake with Al Horford. Hopefully, he’s learned his lesson, but this is a worrying sign for the Warriors.

This article first appeared on NBA Analysis Network and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads:

Customize Your Newsletter

Yardbarker +

Get the latest news and rumors, customized to your favorite sports and teams. Emailed daily. Always free!