Rest gives Golden State a chance to get healthy
His team down 17 points Monday night to the Trail Blazers, Stephen Curry considered what awaited if Golden State could come back and win Game 4 of the Western Conference finals.
“We could have said Game 5 was our game,” Curry said. “But we saw how long that break was going to be, and we wanted to take advantage of it.”
The Warriors now have nine full days between games until the NBA Finals begin in Milwaukee or Toronto on May 30. Such an extended break threatens the rhythm created by Golden State, which overcame deficits of at least 17 points in three consecutive games to sweep Portland.
Over seven-plus months, the Warriors have gotten accustomed to the grind of the NBA schedule, seldom going more than a day or two between games. More than a week off runs the risk of leaving Golden State rusty for the sport’s biggest stage.
The Warriors, however, see more positives than negatives. For an injury-depleted roster, the long break offers much-needed rest.
Warriors forward Kevin Durant, who has missed the past five games with a strained right calf, has yet to be cleared for on-court work. Center DeMarcus Cousins — out since Game 2 of the first round with a torn left quad — has spent the past couple of weeks doing light conditioning and shooting drills, but hasn’t participated in contact scrimmages.
The status of swingman Andre Iguodala, who missed Game 4 of the West finals with left calf tightness, also remains in question. The Warriors hope those three progress enough to return during the NBA Finals. Even players who haven’t missed time should benefit from the break, as they ease achy joints and relax with family and friends.
Point guard Stephen Curry, for example, has played through a dislocated middle finger suffered in Game 2 of the West semifinals. With such ailments in mind, head coach Steve Kerr gave players Tuesday and Wednesday off before the team begins preparations for the Finals.
“The NBA Finals have an experience with it — it’s such an emotional roller coaster,” Warriors guard Klay Thompson said. “It’s nice to get away from the game a little bit before it starts, because emotions run high and it takes a lot out of you.”
This nine-day respite isn’t foreign to the Warriors. In 2017, after sweeping the Spurs in the West finals, Golden State had 11 days to prepare for the Cavaliers. If not for Cleveland draining 24 3-pointers in Game 4, the Warriors would have swept the Cavs.
Over the past half-decade, Kerr’s staff has learned how to guard against rust while ensuring that players enter the Finals fresh. As Game 1 nears, the Warriors will ratchet up the intensity of their workouts, using 5-on-5 scrimmages to mimic game situations.
Of the 25 teams that have had at least a one-week break before Game 1 of the Finals, 14 went on to win the series.
The East winner won’t have a luxury of such a long layoff. The Milwaukee-Toronto series won’t end before Saturday.
“The goal is never to get to the Finals; the goal is to go win the Finals,” Warriors forward Draymond Green said. “With these nine days off, we definitely want to get our guys back healthy.”