The Golden State Warriors‘ season came to a disappointing end following a 115-110 loss to the Los Angeles Clippers. Although they posted an underwhelming 37-45 record, the tenth-seeded Warriors still have an opportunity to keep their postseason dreams alive. Unfortunately, Steve Kerr revealed that the team may not enjoy certain luxuries.
It goes without saying that Wednesday night’s play-in matchup against the Clippers is a do-or-die situation. Still, Steve Kerr stated that players such as Stephen Curry and Kristaps Porzingis would be forced to play limited minutes. While shocking, during an appearance on “Willard and Dibs,” Kerr explained his reasons.
“I think that’s just a figure of speech of ‘minutes restriction.’ It’s not like, ‘Hey, we want to limit this person to a certain number of minutes,'” Kerr stated. “It’s literally that the person cannot play that many minutes. This is all about health, and so you have to be mindful of health as you play these games. You have to be mindful of how many minutes can a guy play and be expected to be effective. So that’s really what we’re facing.”
When asked whether this was a conditioning issue or had greater implications from a health standpoint, Kerr added:
“Both those things go hand in hand,” Kerr said. “I would say if we had another couple of weeks of Steph recovering from his absence, he’d be able to play more minutes. This is just the reality of where he is…”
Much of Golden State’s struggles this season can be attributed to injuries. The Warriors’ season was effectively derailed because of players such as Curry, Jimmy Butler, and Moses Moody being sidelined for extended periods.
Now, even though some of their star players are available, the Dubs are up against the ropes. While their reputation as a title-winning franchise makes them a tough team to bet against, the circumstances do not necessarily favor them.
Steve Kerr Has His Work Cut Out For Him
It goes without saying that Wednesday night’s matchup could prove to be one of the most challenging ones in recent years. Given the sheer restrictions placed on his roster, Steve Kerr will have his work cut out for him.
This year, the Clippers have been dominant against the Warriors, logging a 3-1 record overall. Given that Kawhi Leonard has also been playing at a superstar level, willing the Clippers to a winning record (42-40) after a 6-21 start, L.A. will prove to be a difficult team to beat.
Steve Kerr still has players he can rely on. Stephen Curry, who is still finding his groove since returning from his 27-game absence, recorded 24 points in 29 minutes on Sunday night. Along with him, Kristaps Porzingis added another 12 points and eight rebounds in 24 minutes.
While the two are expected to play more minutes against the Clippers, it is apparent that the Dubs will need greater production from players such as Brandin Podziemski, De’Anthony Melton, and their new backup big man, Charles Bassey.
Given the circumstances, it would be advisable for Steve Kerr and the Warriors to come out strong to put the game away early, effectively capitalizing on the minutes with their star players. Although this is a risky strategy, the Dubs may have to take a gamble.
