In his very first year on the job, Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr has realized his inner virtuoso MC of hardwood success.
Having allowed just 100.8 points per 100 possessions while scoring 111.1 points of their own, the Warriors rank No. 1 in defensive efficiency and No. 2 on the offensive end of the court.
They shoot the highest percentage from distance (30.0) and overall (47.7) while holding opponents to the lowest rate in those same categories (32.8, 42.5). They also rank first in assists, fourth in steals, fifth in blocks and sixth in defensive rebounds.
The Warriors are simply unrivaled when it comes to passing, shooting, defending and just about every other facet of the game.
Oh, and did we mention that they own the best record in the NBA at 48-12?
To the point, much of the reason for this remarkable effectiveness is how Kerr utilizes his personnel.
Or, for the purposes of this article, how he orchestrates his rotations.
Kerr has used five different starting lineups and 20 unique five-man combinations this season, per Basketball-Reference.com. One group, in particular, featuring Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Harrison Barnes, Draymond Green and Andrew Bogut has started 42 of 60 games and amassed 597:00 of court time.
Those totals amount to a healthy majority, in case you hadn’t already drawn that conclusion.
The lineup that consists of Curry, Thompson, Barnes, Green and Marreese Speights, meanwhile, ranks second with nine starts and 197:09. Curry, Thompson, Barnes, Green and Festus Ezeli hold down the third spot with seven starts. And only two other groups have accumulated over 100:00 of floor time.
Although it may seem as if Kerr has overplayed the starting-five of Curry, Thompson, Barnes, Green and Bogut—wait for it—appearances can be deceiving.
Similar to the veteran, champion-like presence of the otherwise rookie head coach on the sideline, the Warriors’ primary lineup has actually received ample rest.
One need only look at the average minutes on the court by each member of that group.
Curry averages just 33.1 minutes, which, outside of his 2011-12 campaign when he appeared in only 26 games, is the lowest of his career. Thompson’s 32.7 minutes are the fewest since his rookie season while the indefatigable Green registers just 32.3.
Barnes, despite his mere 22 years of being on this planet, logs only 29.2 minutes. The seasoned and injury-prone Bogut, for his part, has smartly recorded the fewest minutes of his 10-year career (23.7).
The same goes for key reserves Andre Iguodala (27.1), David Lee (18.3) and Shaun Livingston (17.8).
Point being, by averaging no more than eight minutes per quarter, not a single Warrior ranks in the NBA’s top 20 in playing time. Each starter receives at least 15 minutes of rest per game, with sixth man Iguodala averaging fewer than 30 minutes and all other backup personnel compiling less than 20 per contest.
Save for the Gregg Popovich-coached San Antonio Spurs, no other playoff-bound Western squad boasts such an equitable allocation of minutes per player.
Even Speights (17.2), Leandro Barbosa (13.4), Ezeli (10.9) and Justin Holiday (10.1)—the ninth, 10th, 11th and 12th players on the depth chart—have enjoyed the kind of court time that leads to rhythm and consistent production.
It’s clear that Kerr operates among the upper echelon, divvying up minutes and implementing rotations like a decades-long hardwood general.
Such questions as—Should the star players receive more playing time? Should they play less and rest for the playoffs? Are these lineups working?—need not apply.
Golden State is the best team with the most efficient offense and stingiest defense. It generates the most possessions per 48 minutes (98.6) and owns the top effective field-goal percentage both offensively (53.9) and defensively (46.7).
This club’s Simple Rating System of 9.78, which takes into account average point differential and strength of schedule, also stands unmatched in the Association.
The Dubs sit atop the West as a well-rested, championship-contender that’s in position to finish what it started.
Kerr need not change a thing.
Follow Joey on Twitter @jlevitt16 as he tries to wax eloquent on all things Warriors, NBA, NFL, MLB and the sports world at large.