Steve Kerr to continue bizarre Warriors tactic after blowout victory in Portland

Much of the focus entering the regular season surrounded the Golden State Warriors rotation, and head coach Steve Kerr certainly delivered a shock come Wednesday night against the Portland Trail Blazers.

After the first 12 minutes Kerr turned to his 12th man in the rotation -- fourth-year wing Moses Moody. It wasn't because of any major in-game adjustments that were required, but rather a carefully considered plan that Kerr arrived at just 24 hours out from the game.

Steve Kerr is set to continue with his 12-man Warriors rotation

The depth of the Golden State roster has been a major talking point throughout the entire offseason, and yet few (if anyone) would have thought that Kerr would go to a genuine 12-man rotation to start the season.

The Warrior depth had lifted the team to an unbeaten 6-0 record during preseason, and its that form, and that of individuals, that led Kerr to utilizing 12 players by the first 13 minutes of Wednesday's game.

"Two days ago I would have said, oh well maybe I'll just play 10 and I'll just have to tell two of these guys that they're going to sit, and I couldn't justify that because they've all played really well," Kerr said in the aftermath.

While a legitimately bizarre tactic by NBA standards, the move paid immediate dividends as the Warriors completely blitzed the hosts in the final three-quarters. Golden State outscored Portland 118-83 in the final 36 minutes, lifting them to a blowout 139-104 win in their season opener.

While he's gone 11 deep in the past, Kerr revealed in the postgame that having a 12-man rotation is completely new territory for him, but one that he's going to persist with moving forward. Why not right given how effective it proved in game one?

The 12 players each saw at least 14 minutes in Wednesday's 35-point win, and no one saw more than Stephen Curry's 25 minutes as the 2x MVP was stranded just one rebound short of what would have been his 14th career triple-double.

The spread of scoring had been a feature for Golden State in the preseason, and that remained the case against the Trail Blazers. 10 players had at least eight points, led by Buddy Hield's 22 points on 8-of-12 shooting in his Warrior debut.

Whether a 12-man rotation can be truly sustainable is still under question, particularly come playoff time if the Warriors can get there. But right now it can only be based on the results we have, and the result of Wednesday night was pretty damn good from a Golden State perspective.