One thing we’ve known all season long is that the Golden State Warriors bench isn’t their strong suit. That means they’ve been playing their starters high-volume minutes, oftentimes reaching into the low 40s.
For Portland, it’s actually opposite. They’ve had one of the league’s better benches this season, led by Steph Curry’s brother, Seth Curry. On top of Seth, the Blazers consistently play Zach Collins, Rodney Hood and Evan Turner. They go nine deep just about every game.
However, they’re not all that different than Golden State, being just as top-heavy as the two-time defending champs.
In a potentially eliminating Game 7, the Blazers two stars, CJ McCollum and Damian Lillard played 45+ minutes.