SAN FRANCISCO – Just playing fast is no longer enough in today’s NBA, playing at a brisk pace now the default. 

With players skewing more and more athletic, and as long-distance shooting stretches defenses to their limit, offenses are pushing the limit on how fast they can play. 

Twenty-two teams are playing with a pace rating of at least 100, up from 14 a year ago. It is a trend Warriors coach Steve Kerr, whose team is among that group but sits 19th through seven games, knows well. 

“What I’m seeing is that teams are spreading you out, playing as fast as possible and making it difficult to get to your coverages defensively,” Kerr said. “The faster the actions, the more difficult it is for the defense to respond.”

Golden State entered its home matchup with the Suns as losers of two consecutive games in the Midwest. Both Milwaukee and Indiana were missing stars against the Warriors, but made up for it by pushing the ball up and down the court. 

“I thought the pace of the Milwaukee and Indiana games exposed what we were doing defensively, and we’ve got to improve those things,” Kerr said. 

With his roster headlined by four players aged 35 and older, Kerr and the organization have made it a public priority to keep his stars fresh for the postseason. 

That involves playing at a slower pace, something the team has somewhat succeeded in, and something the Warriors’ intricate halfcourt offense lends itself to. 

“We found the balance once we got Jimmy (Butler) … playing with a little more deliberatness and spacing once Jimmy got the ball,” Kerr said. “He’s one of the best iso players in the league.”

The other method involves resting players – much to Michael Jordan’s chagrin – to keep minutes down. 

The Warriors have already sat Al Horford in three games, counting Tuesday’s predetermined load management to avoid having him play in any back-to-backs. 

But the other three vets – Steph Curry, Draymond Green, Butler – have played in all seven of the team’s games. Both Curry and Butler are averaging north of 30 minutes a night, and Green comes in at a shade under at 29 a game. 

One of their ironmen streaks could change on Tuesday: Golden State listed Butler as questionable with an ailing ankle. Butler had previously missed two preseason games with an ankle injury. 

Kerr had hinted at starting to rest his stars during Monday’s practice.

“I sat down with Mike (Dunleavy) and Rick Celebrini, Dray, Steph and Jimmy, the three main guys who are going to play heavy minutes,” Kerr said, later adding, “The rules the NBA gives us in terms of which games guys can rest, which games they can’t. That’s something we are really having to dive into now that the seasons going and rolling. It’s not easy, but we’ll do it collaboratively.”

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Finding a way to do that while accruing wins will be far easier this week than the next. 

The Warriors play three of four games at home this week, facing bottom-feeders Phoenix and Sacramento before going on the road to Denver, then returning to Chase Center for a rematch with Indiana. 

Then the Warriors hit the road, where they start at defending champion Oklahoma City before two games in emerging power San Antonio as part of a six-game road trip. 

Kuminga’s agent

Jonathan Kuminga’s agent, Aaron Turner, made his first appearance at a Warriors game this season. The man who went on a summer media blitz while he negotiated with the Warriors was seen talking with general manager Mike Dunleavy Jr. courtside before the game.