Another epic Warriors season dawns
After a summer break that lasted about six nanoseconds, the Warriors get back to work next week.
Monday is media day. Practice starts Tuesday. The season opens Oct. 25.
The Warriors have to brace themselves for an intense, epic season, following back-to-back, intense, epic seasons and another very short offseason.
Now the world wants to see what they’ll do for an encore to 73 wins and a Kevin Durant signing. The scrutiny will be intense. Media outlets are moving reporters to the Bay Area simply to cover the Warriors.
“We have to pace our team really well this year,” head coach Steve Kerr said Wednesday. “That’s a key component to the season. Going to the Finals three years in a row is not something that happens often, for a reason.”
Kerr was on a Chicago Bulls team that did it.
“In the third year, we were running on fumes,” he said. “It’s difficult to do. The emotion of it, the exertion that is spent. And you don’t get as much time off as everyone else.”
Kerr said the team will ease into things, will practice only once a day and will keep the starters fresh. He expects changes to add a spark, including the arrival of Durant.
“K.D. will absolutely add a different level of energy to our team,” Kerr said.
Sad news: The Warriors’ organization is in mourning after the news that Carol Fitzgerald, the wife of broadcaster Bob Fitzgerald lost her lengthy bout with pancreatic cancer Tuesday. The couple were married 26 years and had three children.
“The sadness in our organization is profound,” Kerr said. “I’m incredibly inspired by Bob and his kids and how they’ve handled everything. They’ve handled it beautifully.”
Services for Carol Fitzgerald will be held Oct. 7 at St. Bartholomew Church in San Mateo. In lieu of flowers, the family asks for donations in her memory to Camp Kesem at the University of Oregon. The program enables children whose parents have died of cancer to attend a week of camp free of charge.
Donations can be made to: Camp Kesem at University of Oregon, P.O. Box 51194, Eugene, OR 97405.