Steve Kerr May Have Just Revealed His Opening Night Plan for Warriors

When Steve Kerr announced that Gui Santos would be entering the starting lineup for Al Horford, it wasn't immediately clear that it would likely be a move that would stick.

Considering Horford was getting the night off anyway, one could assume Horford would be back in the starting lineup in future preseason games.

But Kerr added that Horford will "most likely" come off the bench in the regular season.

That comment, combined with Kristaps Porzingis still being out indefinitely, strongly signals that the Warriors' opening night starting lineup will be the one they used against the Lakers on Tuesday.

That lineup consists of Stephen Curry, Brandin Podziemski, Santos, Yaxel Lendeborg and Draymond Green.

How Green and Lendeborg Complement Each Other

Green is one of the best defensive players on his generation, but at 6'6", he won't be a volume rebounder, especially when he's playing center.

That's why having him play alongside Lendeborg is critical.

Lendeborg is a 6'9" power forward who will likely lead the Warriors in rebounds. The plan is for Green to quarterback the defense into forcing tough shots and then for Lendeborg, Santos (6'7") and Podz (6'5") to give Green support on the defensive glass.

It certainly feels like a better plan than having Green at center with no one above 6'7" playing alonside him like he did so how often last year.

On the offensive end, Green and Horford are pretty repetitive at this stage of their careers. They both spend most of their time on the perimeter and don't offer much post-up or driving value.

The Warriors look far more dynamic with two forwards who can attack closeouts, and that's what they have when Santos and Lendeborg play together.

The stress that Santos and Lendeborg put on defenses makes Green a better offensive player.

Perhaps the best example came early in the first quarter. Curry was doubled coming off a screen from Green, so he passed it to Green, who caught it a bit inside the three-point line around the top of the key.

Green took one dribble toward the hoop and swung the ball to Lendeborg in the corner. Lendeborg's defender (LaRavia) wasn't that far out of position when Lendeborg received the pass, but it didn't matter. Lendeborg immediately drove baseline for a layup.

Overall, Green had eight assists in 15 minutes. Sure, it was against the Lakers' B team, but it was encouraging nontheless.

How Starting Lineup Choice Impacts Forward/Center Rotation

The Warriors essentially have four healthy forwards in Green, Lendeborg, Santos and Georges Niang. Starting three of them will create some difficult lineups choices when they rest.

By the middle of the first quarter against the Lakers, the Warriors had taken out Green, Lendeborg and Santos and replaced them with Gary Payton II, Niang and Charles Bassey.

So that mid-first quarter lineup was Curry, De'Anthony Melton, Payton, Niang and Bassey.

In other words, that's a lineup with three guards, a forward who struggles defensively and a relatively inexperienced center. When active, Horford will likely play instead of Bassey, but that won't fix the issue that the lineup has issues with size and defense at the wing/forward spots.

It's not like Kerr has obvious better options. Having one of Santos, Lendeborg or Green come off the bench would balance the lineups more, but doing that would weaken the starting lineup.

Kerr later tried Lendeborg at the 5 against the Lakers, and after the game he admitted he might be forced to do that despite the defensive issues it could cause.

Having Lendeborg at the 5 opens up more minutes to fill at the forward spots, and the Dubs don't have the depth to fill them.

Having Kristaps Porzingis and Horford active would allow the Dubs to have Lendeborg play exclusively forward minutes, but Kerr is wisely preparing for one or both to be inactive frequently.

And when one or both can't go, Kerr's second unit will have feature three guards consistently, mostly out of necessity.

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