Lots to get done during time off
The Warriors secured more than a berth in the Western Conference semifinals when they swept Portland in the first round. They afforded themselves time to rest and prepare, a scarce commodity during the grind of an 82-game regular season.
Four days after its Game 4 victory over the Trail Blazers, Golden State is still waiting to learn which team it’ll face next. Utah, up 3-2 on the Clippers, hosts Game 6 on Friday night. If the Jazz win that game, they’ll see the Warriors at Oracle Arena on Sunday. If Utah loses Friday and that first-round series extends to seven games, Golden State will host Game 1 of the conference semifinals Tuesday.
In the meantime, the Warriors have plenty of items to check off their to-do list. Here is a rundown of some things they need to accomplish before the next round: Continue to help Steve Kerr get well: On Sunday, after missing Game 3 in Portland, Kerr announced that he was taking an indefinite hiatus from ingame coaching to seek an answer to his chronic pain. Nearly two years removed from back surgery that resulted in a spinal fluid leak, he continues to deal with blinding headaches, dizziness and nausea.
The hope is that, after consulting with experts at Stanford Medical Center this week, Kerr will be on a path to recovery. Though there is no timetable for his return to the sideline, Kerr knows that he needs to feel good for an extended amount of time before he will be comfortable coming back. Allow players plenty of rest: Depending on when the JazzClippers series ends, the Warriors will have at least five and as many as seven days off between Game 4 of the first round and Game 1 of the second. It is a much-appreciated development for a team that had its depth tested against the Trail Blazers.
Forward Matt Barnes has been sidelined by a sprained right ankle since April 8, and point guard Shaun Livingston missed the last three games of the first round with a sprained right index finger. They have steadily eased into practice in recent days, and though they officially remain questionable for Game 1 of the conference semifinals, it seems likely they’ll be available.
More than players nursing injuries, the rest benefits those who have shouldered heavy workloads. Starting guards Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson, both of whom were up and down in the first round, can use the time to relax and get their minds off basketball. Get Kevin Durant more comfortable: After missing two games with a tweaked left calf, Durant returned Monday for Game 4 in Portland. He showed flashes of his do-everything arsenal as he recorded 10 points, two blocks and three rebounds in 20 minutes. Still, he appeared tentative and committed three turnovers.
The long break between games allows him sufficient time to rest his left leg. After all, it wasn’t long before he suffered his left calf injury that he missed 19 regular-season games with a left knee injury.
The Giants certainly made Durant feel comfortable, as he was seen sitting in a front-row seat next to team president Larry Baer for Thursday afternoon’s game against the Dodgers. Give Mike Brown the time to establish himself as acting head coach: Brown is a former NBA Coach of the Year who was hired as Kerr’s lead assistant in July, in part because he provided an experienced insurance option should Kerr miss games. In Games 3 and 4 in Portland, after being thrust into the head coaching job, Brown made a slew of sound rotational and tactical decisions.
His goal is to maintain status quo. But with no timetable available for Kerr’s return, Brown realizes that he must find his own way of carrying out the philosophies that have made Golden State so successful under Kerr. Practices and video sessions this week are giving players an opportunity to adjust to their new leader. Game plan for the next opponent: Throughout the first round, the Warriors had assistants and scouts preparing for the team’s next opponent — whoever that might be. That Golden State no longer needs to worry about Portland gives it a slight edge over the winner of the Jazz-Clippers series from a preparation standpoint.
Of course, the Warriors are already quite familiar with both teams. They went a combined 6-1 against Utah and L.A. in the regular season. The lone defeat? A 105-99 home loss to the Jazz on April 10, after Golden State had clinched home-court advantage throughout the playoffs. Thompson rested in that no-stakes game.