New challenge is to come out fresh Tuesday
Two years ago, while between coaching jobs, Mike Brown bought an apartment near the University of New Mexico.
After nearly two decades on the road with NBA teams, he appreciated the chance to reconnect with his oldest son, Elijah, then a standout guard for the Lobos. Brown, who is divorced, attended every New Mexico game and most practices during the 2015-16 season.
Now a highly touted graduate transfer, Elijah Brown is pleased the Warriors have a seven-day break before hosting Game 1 of the Western Conference semifinals Tuesday night against the Jazz or Clippers. The extra time affords Mike Brown, Golden State’s acting head coach while Steve Kerr seeks a solution to his chronic pain, more time to advise his son.
“I’ve been pulling a little double duty,” Brown said with a chuckle after practice Saturday.
It is just one benefit of the Warriors’ first-round sweep of Portland. With Utah and L.A. set to play Game 7 of their first-round series Sunday after-
noon at Staples Center, Golden State is free to rest achy muscles, prepare for both potential opponents and, of course, tend to non-NBA responsibilities.
Still, some might wonder whether such an extended break between games is more detrimental than advantageous. Players have become accustomed to the chaos of an 82-game regular season. Suddenly idle, they must try not to grow stagnant — both physically and emotionally.
Brown gave the team Tuesday and Thursday off after Monday’s Game 4 rout of the Trail Blazers. The other five days before the next round are for practices, including occasional scrimmages and high-intensity conditioning drills. The hope is that Golden State will enter Tuesday healthy — forward Matt Barnes and point guard Shaun Livingston, who have been sidelined recently by minor injuries, expect to be back for Game 1 — and, just as important, in shape.
“It’s definitely a good thing for the guys who were a little banged up,” point guard Stephen Curry said. “The only challenging part is keeping the edge and focus about our practices.”
Since the NBA playoffs expanded from 12 to 16 teams in 1984, the Warriors have had only one other break this long between games. In 2015, in the wake of a seven-day hiatus after sweeping New Orleans in the first round, Golden State beat Memphis in six games on its way to its first NBA title in 40 years.
Last season, Cleveland had eight-day breaks before the conference semifinals and the conference finals. The extra rest only made the Cavaliers fresher for the NBA Finals. Facing a Golden State team coming off an emotional seven-game series against Oklahoma City, Cleveland escaped a 3-1 hole to win the championship.
It helps the Warriors that 10 of their players, including their four 2017 All-Stars, have logged at least five seasons in the league. While younger teams might give in to complacency during lengthy breaks from games, Golden State has enough postseason experience to guard against a letdown.
“If we were a younger team, I would have a little bit more concern about this, but this is a veteran group,” Brown said. “Our nucleus has played deep into the playoffs and they’ve swept teams before, so they’ve been put in this situation. Even when you talk about guys like David West and Kevin Durant, they’ve been with teams that have been put in situations like this.”
Brown, who had coached 83 NBA playoff games before taking over for Kerr in Game 3 against Portland, also understands how to handle the postseason’s more drawnout time frame. What he isn’t so accustomed to is juggling a playoff run with helping oversee his son’s recruitment.
Within the past two weeks, to fit into Brown’s hectic schedule, Gonzaga’s Mark Few and Oregon’s Dana Altman met him at the Warriors’ downtown Oakland practice facility. The good news for Brown is that Elijah plans to choose a school next week.
“We talk every day,” Elijah said. “Now that it’s getting down to the nittygritty of it all, we’re talking even more. He always finds time for his family, even though he’s busy with all this other stuff.” Connor Letourneau is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: cletourneau @sfchronicle.com Twitter: @Con_Chron