Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr spoke to Fadeaway World on a media call ahead of their first match in the inaugural ‘In-Season Tournament‘. The Warriors will be looking forward to adding another trophy to their award case, but Coach Kerr is not worried about playing such high-intensity games in November and December with a roster of older players.
“I don’t think fatigue will be a factor. We’re treating this very seriously, but we’re not going to be playing our guys 45 minutes. We still have the big picture in mind. These games are going to be very competitive, but our guys are used to playing a lot of basketball. They’re in great shape and it’ll be really fun, so I’m not worrying about that.”
Multiple Warriors players have already expressed their desire to win the tournament, so it’ll be interesting to see how they approach these games. Normal regular season games have lower intensity and could see teams tail off after halftime.
With meaningful games on offer, players would be expected to play harder since you need to win your group to qualify for the next round. Kerr has already indicated he won’t be running his stars into the ground with heavy minutes.
Their opening game of the tournament is tomorrow, as the Warriors take on the OKC Thunder.
Draymond Green And Chris Paul Have Already Set Their Eyes On The Trophy
The Warriors are no strangers to silverware, winning four NBA titles since 2015. With a trophy on offer, the Warriors’ instincts of winning have kicked in, with Warriors President Brandon Schneider revealing that Draymond Green and Chris Paul have already promised him a win.
“I said to [Warriors general manager] Mike Dunleavy about a month ago, I said, ‘Hey Mike, what do you think about this in-season tournament?.’ He said, ‘Well, Draymond Green and Chris Paul told me we’re going to win it.’ I said, ‘OK, that’s all I needed to know.’ “
When a franchise like the Warriors is approaching the tournament so seriously, it’ll make other teams also get after it. Their opening game for the tournament is against the OKC Thunder. This is a very risky matchup, as the youthful bunch is keen on announcing their names as contenders in the West this season.
Doing that through a Cinderella run in the tournament by picking up their first win against the Warriors and using the momentum to win their group, which also features the Kings, Timberwolves, and Spurs.
An Exciting Opening Slate Of Games
The opening fixtures for the tournament will be played on Friday night (November 3), and the league has put together a fantastic slate of games. The first game of the night will have the Cavaliers take on the Pacers to tip off the seven games that inaugurate the tournament.
The Cavs and Pacers will be followed up by a battle between contenders as the Bucks host the Knicks. The Warriors take on the Thunder afterward, followed by the Nets traveling to face the Bulls in Chicago. The last Eastern Conference game sees the Wizards take on the Heat.
The Grizzlies and Trail Blazers will also be locked in a battle, with the night ending with a marquee matchup between the undefeated Mavericks and reigning NBA title-holders Nuggets.
All games will be available on NBA League Pass (regional restrictions may apply), with the Mavericks and Nuggets tipping off on Sports18, Sports18 Khel, and JioCinema at 5:30 a.m. (IST) for fans in India.
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