SAN ANTONIO – When the Warriors were recruiting Kevin Durant during the summer of 2016, he had one pressing question for coach Steve Kerr.

“How many minutes are you going to play me?” Durant asked.

“Probably 34,” Kerr replied.

After averaging 37.8 minutes per game through nine NBA seasons before joining the Warriors, Durant said he would prefer to play about 38 minutes per contest.

“Well, if we can blow some teams out,” Kerr said, “it’s going to turn into 34.”

Durant’s early exchange with Kerr provided an introduction to the theory of playing fewer minutes in hopes of being fresher for the NBA playoffs and beyond. Want Warriors news in your inbox? Sign up for the free DubsDaily newsletter.

“When you win, it doesn’t really matter,” Durant said. “You can feel how fresh you are coming down the stretch of the season and in the playoffs when you don’t have to have that wear and tear every night. I didn’t realize that. I just wanted to play.”

Nearly a year later, after winning an NBA title, Durant has an altered viewpoint. He jokingly has told Kerr that he “might need a few more (minutes) on the bench.” As the Warriors (5-3) enter Thursday’s nationally televised game against the Spurs (4-3), Durant is averaging 36.4 minutes per contest, up from last season’s 33.4.

Durant acknowledged that “every player wants to be Superman and play every minute.” But Kerr learned from how Spurs coach Gregg Popovich managed the playing time of his stars through nearly two decades and five NBA title runs.

Kerr allocated conservative playing time last season for Durant, Stephen Curry (33.4), Klay Thompson (34.0) and Draymond Green (32.5). Those numbers pale compared to the NBA’s leaders, including LeBron James (37.8), Kyle Lowry (37.4), Andrew Wiggins (37.2) and Karl-Anthony Towns (37.0).

To make things easier for the players, Kerr plans to adopt a similar approach this season by allocating minutes to the 29-year-old Durant, 27-year-old Thompson (34.9), 29-year-old Curry (33.6) and 27-year-old Green (30.6).

With the NBA spreading out its schedule to reduce back-to-back games, Kerr does not anticipate resting players as often aside from injuries. The Warriors have, though, what assistant coach Mike Brown called a “projected max” for their star players to log 36 to 38 minutes per game in close contests and 32 to 34 minutes during normal circumstances. Those minutes will shrink during blowouts.

“It’s hard to really quantify how that works out,” Kerr said. “But we know we’re in a nine-month grind if we make it to the Finals. Three years in a row in doing that, those minutes add up.”

Doing the math

As they reflected on their season-long workload last year, Curry, Thompson, Durant and Green all struggled to pinpoint exactly when a shaved minute here or there helped their day-to-day regimen. They found it just as challenging to specify when increased playing time made them feel more fatigued. Yet, Thompson said he “absolutely” could start feeling how his body benefitted from a reduced workload toward the end of the season.

“I could play 48 minutes if I had to, man. I wouldn’t want to, but if I had to, I would,” Thompson said. “I love playing and I’ve been able to run for a long time my whole life. I’m blessed with great windpipes. But at the same time, I have to stay on top of it because I’m getting older and it’s easier to get out of shape quickly.”

When Curry performed some number crunching, the reality struck him. If he played 39 minutes per game instead of 35, those four extra minutes through an 82-game schedule equals 328.

“That’s the equivalent of playing seven fewer games,” Curry said.

That data made it easy for Kerr to convince his stars to resist their competitive urges. The Warriors’ deep roster made them feel more comfortable, too.

“The selling point was everyone was going to have a huge role in us winning during the regular season,” Curry said. “Our goal is to win a championship. In order to do that, we got to get there healthy. We got to get there with, I wouldn’t say pacing ourselves, but with fresh legs as we best we can control.”

The Warriors’ coaching staff controls that in different ways.

With Kerr hoping to salvage his stars’ energy, he tries to ensure each player rests five to six minutes per half while having at least two stars on the floor at all times. Curry typically plays the first and third quarters, while sitting at the beginning of the second and fourth periods.

To help with that process, Brown has outlined a minutes chart that entails tracking each rotation and calculating players’ minutes. Throughout the game, Brown will alert Kerr of his players’ minutes. Like our Warriors Facebook page for more Warriors news, commentary and conversation.

The Warriors are also mindful that all minutes are not created equal. With the Warriors’ fast pace and usual defensive efficiency, players say fewer minutes prepare them for that responsibility.

“We demand closeouts and box outs and playing with force,” Kerr said. “It’s hard to do that for 40 minutes. It’s more possible to do that as a team if you’re playing guys 33-34 minutes.”

Said Green: “You see some guys that play for coaches that run them into the ground. All of a sudden, they look like they didn’t have it a little earlier than they should have. This helps overall.”

Challenges arise

The view changes when crunch time approaches and a single play could determine the outcome.

“As a competitor, they can sell you as much as they want,” Green said. “But in the heat of the game, you’re not going to be worried if you play either 32 or 38 minutes.”

Instead, players are more worried about winning than building off their momentum. In normal circumstances, Curry has accepted sitting to open the second and fourth quarters. Not all games are normal, though.

“My frustrations come up when I end the quarter hot and at the end of the third quarter and I want to keep playing in the fourth just to get the momentum going. That’s not part of our approach. It’s usually a no,” Curry said. “Then on the other end, if I’m on the bench in the fourth quarter and another team goes on a run or something, my competitiveness is I want to get back out there and help my team and go in there a little bit earlier.”

Even though Kerr and Brown have found their stars are still respectful of their minutes plan, the coaching staff experiences their own juggling act. Kerr joked he threw Brown’s minutes chart in the trash can when Curry was in foul trouble and Green suffered a left knee injury in the team’s season-opening loss to Houston. Durant logged heavier minutes than planned against Washington (39) because of the close outcome.

“These tools are great to have. They make you think and they help you visualize the process,” Brown said. “But at the end of the day, basketball is a game of instinct and feel. So you have to go with your gut.”

Kerr’s gut usually circle backs to the big picture and the importance of limiting minutes for his stars. By doing so, the Warriors found expanded opportunities for reserve guard Patrick McCaw, who proved himself capable of assuming a higher role when Durant missed 20 regular-season games and two playoff appearances because of a knee injury. They attributed a rejuvenated starting lineup and a prepared reserve unit as reasons for their 16-1 postseason record.

That explained why Curry paused for a second after admitting his occasional misgivings about sitting on the bench after a sizzling shooting streak or an opposing team’s strong run.