Warriors depth chart: Kerr throws swerve into starting lineup in big win over Blazers

With one of the deepest rosters he's had in years, even with Klay Thompson and Chris Paul now playing elsewhere, Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr had some tough decisions to make regarding his starting lineup ahead of his team's 2024-25 NBA season opener on Wednesday night against the Portland Trail Blazers.

Stephen Curry and Draymond Green were always locked into the starting five, but beyond those two franchise cornerstones, every other slot was up for grabs. And during the Warriors' 6-0 run in the preseason, just about every player on the roster made a strong case for themselves to be included in the starting rotation.

Once Kerr finally made his decision, it wasn't what anyone was expecting. Curry, of course, started at point guard. But it wasn't Brandin Podziemski at the two spot, as most thought it would be. Instead, it was Andrew Wiggins, who hasn't made a start at shooting guard in roughly seven years.

Jonathan Kuminga got the nod at small forward, with Green at power forward and Trayce Jackson-Davis at center. That's a much bigger lineup than most could have anticipated. But Kerr's overall rotation worked out just fine as the Warriors cruised to a 139-104 victory over the Blazers.

Golden State Warriors depth chart

Given how things played out Wednesday night against Portland, here's how the Warriors' depth chart looks at the moment. This will likely change at some point, as Kerr likes to tinker, but here's where it stands currently.

Truth be told, it's difficult to put together an accurate Warriors depth chart because the team has so many players who can play multiple positions. It's not as if Wiggins, who put up 20 points in the win over the Blazers, played all 23 of his minutes at shooting guard, as he moved to his natural position at small forward at times.

Then you've got Buddy Hield, who can also play at both the two and the three when called upon. The versatile veteran got fewer minutes than expected against Portland but certainly made the most of them, scoring a team-high 22 points in 15 minutes, shooting 8-for-12 from the floor and 5-for-7 from beyond the arc.

It's hard to call Hield a "deep bench" guy, but, again, that's the difficulty of a Warriors depth chart. But he may end up in the "bench" section soon at shooting guard if Podziemski, who failed to score a single point in 25 minutes, doesn't end up producing like the Warriors are hoping he will.

Again, as Kerr loves to tinker with his rotation — he had 27 different starting lineups a season ago — this could all change soon. It'll be interesting to see if he rolls out the same starting five on Friday night when the Warriors visit the Utah Jazz.