SAN FRANCISCO — Coach Steve Kerr deflected questions last week during the Western Conference finals about how important extra time between series could be for his veteran-led, shorthanded squad.
He and the team were focused on beating the Mavericks, which Golden State did Thursday night at the Chase Center to earn the franchise’s sixth berth in the NBA Finals in the past eight seasons.
But after getting two days off, a rarity during the NBA season, Kerr returned from playing golf and enjoying time with his wife, Margot, on Sunday and said the team benefited greatly from the break it allowed players to play. players a chance to recover after a grueling few weeks. .
“When you go to the Finals, it’s almost a two-month journey full of stress and fatigue and everything else, so if you can take a little break, it’s very meaningful,” Kerr said. “Hopefully we can be healthy and have a few days of really good preparation and be ready for the first day.”
The opportunity to allow key players more time to recover from injuries could be the biggest gain during the Warriors’ six-day gap between series.
Gary Payton II (elbow), Andre Iguodala (neck) and Otto Porter Jr. (foot) are expected to return to practice this week.
Porter, a key piece of the rotation this postseason in part due to his defensive and rebounding skills, injured his left foot in the first half of Game 3 of the Western Conference finals against the Mavericks. The injury, unlike the foot problem that hindered him from reaching the bottom of the Western Conference semifinals, sidelined him for Games 4 and 5.
Meanwhile, Payton and Iguodala missed the entire last series against Dallas.
Payton has been out for about four weeks since breaking his left elbow in Game 2 at Memphis. He has been seen doing work on the floor with his right arm and a recent report indicated that he was on track to return this series, which is good news for the Warriors who missed the defensive prowess, length and athleticism of the right-handed player. 28 years.
Iguodala hasn’t played since the Warriors’ first-round series against the Nuggets due to a disc injury in his neck. The 38-year-old veteran has found ways to make a positive impact this postseason despite not being able to play. He has served as a pseudo-coach, mentoring young players and providing in-game commentary.
There is a possibility that all three will return at some point during the NBA Finals.
“That’s what we’re after, but we’ll have a better feeling after the next few days of practice,” Kerr said.
Golden State will be well-rested and rejuvenated for Game 1 of the NBA Finals on Thursday, while its opponent, the winner of Game 7 on Sunday night between the Heat and Celtics, will have just three days to recover from injuries. Eastern Conference finals, one of which will be spent on a flight to San Francisco.
“That’s huge,” Kerr said. “The conference finals were really grueling even though the series only lasted five games, you play every other day. It’s very difficult when you take into account the three and a half hour round trip flight. Both teams felt that.
“So being in our own beds for [more than] a week in a row… is very helpful,” he continued. “But I still have to go out there and do all the work and get the job done.”
While some fear the long gap between series could throw the Warriors out of rhythm, center Kevon Looney said the advantages far outweigh the disadvantages of time off.
“When you’re playing in those series, there’s a game every other day and you’re traveling most days, you don’t have a lot of time to get your body back,” he said. “But having two days off and a week until we play [allows] everyone get your mind right, everyone concentrate and return the body to where you want to take it. Some of the downsides are there’s nothing like the pace of the game, the form of the game, so you have to make sure you do everything you normally do to stay on your toes.”
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