All season long, we’ve been beaten over the head with the parallels between the ’96 Bulls and the 2016 Warriors. Steve Kerr is obviously a central figure in that generation-spanning equation, and he brings a wealth of experience both as a former player on one of the NBA’s greatest dynasties and as a savvy basketball mind who studied under two of the most successful coaches of all-time.
To be certain, Kerr is a very different coach from Phil Jackson. As far as we can tell, the Dubs aren’t regularly subjected to mandatory yoga and meditation sessions, nor are they assigned the types of books you might find on your insufferable philosophy-major roommate’s bookshelves. His wry humor and acerbic wit are actually more reminiscent of Gregg Popovich.
Regardless, one thing Kerr picked up from both of those mentors has been absolutely crucial to his team’s success over the past two seasons: the importance of depth.
"There's something powerful about everybody playing. Learned that from Phil Jackson." -Coach Kerr on @warriors bench pic.twitter.com/cRFG7SnXsw
— NBA (@NBA) June 3, 2016
It’s a particularly poignant truth for Kerr, a career-long role-player who made a tremendous impact off the bench for each of the championship teams he played for. He, Toni Kukoc, and Bill Wennington were crucial to the Bulls’ historic run, just as the Warriors’ various rotation players have been the past two seasons.
Game 1 was a testament not only to Golden State’s imposing depth, but to the faith Kerr has in his peripheral players to step up and make key contributions when his stars are struggling, just like Shaun Livingston and Andre Iguodala did on Thursday night. And if their lopsided Game 1 victory proved anything, it might be that the Warriors’ depth is actually their greatest strength.
