HOUSTON – Why the Warriors were in such pursuit of the Western Conference’s No. 6 seed and avoiding the NBA play-in tournament was obvious to everybody.
First of all, the Warriors were 0-3 in play-in games before Tuesday’s win against the Memphis Grizzlies. Throughout a decade-plus of winning four NBA titles, the Warriors have thrived in making necessary adjustments throughout a series. Most of all, though, these guys needed a rest.
The schedule was grueling down the stretch, and the intensity was as close to the playoffs as possible. Glimpses of fatigue naturally popped up over the last two weeks of the regular season with the Warriors fighting to climb up the standings, only for those around them to keep racking up wins.
Coach Steve Kerr shed a spotlight on the importance of Golden State not needing a second crack at making the playoffs after taking down Memphis, saying his team, led by a 37-year-old Steph Curry and two 35-year-olds in Jimmy Butler and Draymond Green, “desperately” needed the four days off prior to their first-round matchup with the Houston Rockets.
He also revealed how the Warriors might now find themselves in the perfect balance of rest, recovery and rhythm before that Grizzlies game.
“I don’t think you even want a week off in the NBA,” Kerr said. “I think four days off is kind of perfect.”
That’s where the Warriors find themselves now, which is a much different place than how the Rockets’ regular season wrapped up.
Houston secured the No. 2 seed on April 8 with three regular-season games remaining. There was no reason to risk injury and exert the energy of their top players, so coach Ime Udoka gave his top players – aside from 15 minutes for Jalen Green – the night off in each of the next two games. It didn’t matter in the standings for the Rockets, but the results were two blowout losses to Los Angeles’ two teams, the Clippers and the Lakers.
In the final game of the regular season, Udoka used his usual starting five, but gave time to 14 players in a 15-point loss against the Denver Nuggets, ending the regular season with three consecutive defeats by an average of 21 points.
Of all the days on the NBA calendar, Wednesday might have been Kerr’s favorite. He and his coaching staff get into their basketball lab and get to work. Clip after clip after clip of film is broken down. Numbers are dissected, and matchups are picked apart.
Players had the day off physically, and then came to Chase Center later in the afternoon for a deep dive of all their installations from film study. Basketball brilliance without a camera is put on display without a camera in sight.
Thursday was time for them to lace their sneakers back up and get their bodies moving before boarding a flight to Houston. The Warriors then practiced Friday at the University of Houston and feel like the last few days were the perfect balance of getting a breather and locking in.
“I thought the last two, three weeks was an incredible test and our guys were amazing,” Kerr said Friday after practice. “Obviously did enough to get where we are, and then getting those four days I think allowed us to get our feet on the ground and we’ll be ready to go tomorrow.”
Getting days off is a bonus every team desires. What a player, and a team collectively, does with that time can be the sign of true greatness. It’s where the Warriors’ championship experience kicks into gear, finding wins within the details.
“Rest is one thing, but not all rest is created equally,” Curry said. “You have to be intentional about how you use the days. That doesn’t mean you don’t do anything. You’re priming yourself in the weight room, mentally, skills-wise getting your work in.”
Alperen Şengün, Amen Thompson, Dillon Brooks, Fred VanVleet, Green and others in the Rockets’ main cast haven’t played meaningful basketball since beating the Warriors two weeks ago. Meanwhile in that span, Curry and Butler kicked into playoff mode early and combined to score 272 points since the Warriors’ loss to the Rockets.
Youth against experience. Rest against the rhythm. Every battle of contrasting teams will take center stage.
The once-desired week off wasn’t in the cards for the Warriors. An even better balance might have struck the right chord for another playoff run.
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