The Golden State Warriors were caught by surprise. The Portland Trail Blazers clinically vanquished them at the Moda Center. As an older roster, the repercussions of a back-to-back might have weighed the Warriors down. Stephen Curry, for one, looked just as lethal as his glorious night against the Nuggets yesterday. But Steve Kerr doesn’t think fatigue played a role at all.

“I would be embarrassed to, you know, sit here and blame fatigue when a team just came out and just, just took it to us. So it was about them and their great play. And this city is going to really enjoy watching the Blazers,” Kerr said about the team in the post-game interview. But the Warriors’ age did ultimately play a part in the loss.

The Warriors’ summer moves might have been delayed. But internally, they knew what was coming. Al Horford offered a unique dynamic, functioning as a stretch big. The Warriors never had such a dynamic. However, because of his age, the Bay knew they would have to be careful when using Horford.

That’s the reason he didn’t feature tonight. The Warriors have planned on not playing the former Celtics center for any back-to-back games. And even without Al Horford, man management is vital. So when Kerr knew the game was out of hand, he pulled every starter. None of them appeared for more than 30 minutes tonight.

Of course, one absence doesn’t completely make the Warriors vulnerable. The Blazers pushed the Western Conference kingpins by forcing turnovers and playing with face on the break. Deni Avdija and Jerami Grant caused the most damage, combining for 48 points in the win against the Bay. After two straight wins, the Warriors won’t take this loss deeply. Because if anything, they have to get used to compromising on a few nights.

Steve Kerr and the Warriors are aware of the risks

The Warriors have a team rich in experience. The likes of Horford, Stephen Curry, Draymond Green, and Jimmy Butler have mastered the art of winning. Each has great accolades to show for it. However, the team also carries the second-oldest roster in the entire league. While pushing their stars on a few nights is plausible, Steve Kerr has also accepted that the Warriors will need to find other ways to win games.

“I mean that’s part of the NBA season as a coach is pacing your team through the 82 and recognizing, you know, nights like tonight where you know, we had I think we played 12 people in the first half,” Kerr said about their strategy going into tonight’s game. With Stephen Curry at 36, and Green and Jimmy Butler at the twilight ends of their career, having a long rotation at the end of a back-to-back helped them get rest.

And although the Warriors are old, they do possess some ravishing young talents. Jonathan Kuminga has started off the season as a starter, clearly showing his improvements from last season. Moreover, while Brandin Podziemski hasn’t picked up rhythm yet, he is a two-way guard who can start games and pick up momentum. Kerr just needs to choose the moments throughout the season to trust the Warriors’ young nucleus. Tonight, he gave it a try, but the Blazers were just better. But it’s a long season, and the Warriors just need to avoid getting into the Play-In since that would mean additional workload for their veteran core.

The Warriors carry title expectations this season. And to carry that out, managing players is vital. Steve Kerr knew that before the season began. While it didn’t end well tonight, the Warriors have shown their character in the first two games of the season. That’s the benchmark. So there may be nights Curry and Co. don’t play as much.

But what matters is that the Warriors can maintain a “competitive edge” to keep them fully fit for the postseason. That’s where their presence will matter the most.