How schedule, seedings look for Warriors without Steph initially appeared on NBC Sports Bayarea
SAN FRANCISCO — After which there have been 5, all with out Steph Curry. That is the street the Warriors face to shut out the common season, all whereas the Western Convention standings maintain tightening up for Golden State and a handful of different groups.
Curry on Friday was dominated out for the remainder of the regualr season with a sprained ligament in his left foot. He hasn’t performed since March 16 and the Warriors have gone 1-6 since he has been out, together with shedding their final 4 straight. For the season, they’re 3-10 with out their celebrity level guard.
The Warriors (48-29) obtained some main assist from the Washington Wizards on Friday as they blew out the Dallas Mavericks (48-30), putting Golden State again within the No. 3 seed for the Western Convention. Saturday night time’s slate in opposition to the Utah Jazz (46-31), who at present are the No. 5 seed, is the perfect workforce the Warriors will face earlier than the playoffs start, they usually’re additionally their most-favorable matchup of groups they’re prone to see within the first spherical.
Except for the Jazz, the Warriors additionally nonetheless have dates left with the Kings (29-49), Los Angeles Lakers (31-46), San Antonio Spurs (32-45) and New Orleans Pelicans (34-43). These aren’t precisely the cream of the crop of the NBA this season. The Warriors have gone 2-1 in opposition to the Jazz this season, 3-0 in opposition to the Kings, 2-1 in opposition to the Lakers, 1-2 in opposition to Gregg Popovich and the pesky Spurs and 1-1 in opposition to the surging Pelicans.
Regardless of the down data of the above groups, all 4 nonetheless have their eyes on the play-in event or higher, after which the Jazz after all want to rise within the standings as nicely. The Warriors are solely two-and-a-half video games forward of the No. 6-seeded Denver Nuggets, and that is the cut-off line to keep away from the play-in event, a vacation spot the Warriors fell flat in final season.
“We’re shooting for the highest seed we can get,” Steve Kerr mentioned Friday to reporters. “We’re trying to win every game, not at the expense of health. As far as concern, you got to play somebody. If we could shoot for a first-round bye, I’d be really concerned. But that’s not the case. We’re gonna play somebody.
“The principle factor is being as wholesome as doable and being in a superb area mentally, spiritually, bodily going into that first-round matchup — regardless of who we play.”
Kerr recently has admitted he checks scores around the league and stays up to date on the standings, just like the rest of us. Who can blame him? It’s human nature at it’s simplest form in sports.
Warriors center Kevon Looney, however, says the standings and seedings aren’t even mentioned among players. Not at all.
“It hasn’t been arduous for us in any respect,” Looney said when I asked about trying to avoid scoreboard watching. “We have been sliding down, so we simply must concentrate on ourself and getting again to our methods. That is actually been what we have been specializing in. Coming down the stretch, a lot adjustments from day after day with the seedings. We’re all so shut.
“We haven’t talked about it or focused on it. I don’t know if the coaches have or the front office has, but as players, we’re just trying to figure out how we can get some wins — especially with Steph out.”
Looney continued to push the notion that the Warriors really feel they’ll play in opposition to anyone, and beat anyone. That feeling solely is heightened at full energy and with the pinnacle of the snake.
The Warriors’ 5 opponents appear to be considerably favorable, for essentially the most half. The schedule as an entire, although, is not. Golden State has confronted an absurd quantity of back-to-backs late within the season, and nonetheless have two to go. Meaning extra relaxation for some key gamers, even in video games that may decide the Warriors’ path to the playoffs.
Klay Thompson hasn’t performed each video games throughout back-to-backs since making his return in early January. Otto Porter Jr. hasn’t for essentially the most half as a veteran with a historical past of accidents. Draymond Green hasn’t since making his return from a 31-game absence on March 14, and Andre Iguodala has been held to solely 28 video games and only recently returned from lacking seven weeks to a again harm.
“It’s TBD, but it’s likely that we’ll rest some guys,” Kerr mentioned after I requested about his plans for upcoming back-to-backs. “I think Klay and Andre, pretty much automatic — just based on Klay’s injury recovery and then Andre, with his age, we’re not going to mess around.
“So these guys, it is virtually automated. I believe the opposite two guys are extra up within the air.”
That means Klay and Iguodala likely will not play Sunday against the Kings, and if Kerr continues to rest them on the second day of a back-to-back, they also likely won’t play in the regular-season finale in New Orleans. The status of Draymond and Porter is more up in the air.
FiveThirtyEight, as of this publishing, predicts the Warriors will finish the regular season with the third-best record in the West. But they have them tying with the Dallas Mavericks, who beat the Warriors three out of four times. That would make the Warriors the No. 4 seed and they would play the Jazz in the first round.
The Ringer’s projections have the same results playing out too, with the Warriors and Mavericks each winning 51 games, but the Mavs being the higher seed.
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It’s clear the Warriors’ top priority, as it has been all season long, remains being as healthy as possible. Unfortunately for them, that hasn’t been the case most of the time. Second on the list is earning the highest seed they can, followed by keeping home-court advantage in the first round as a top-four seed and finally making sure they avoid the play-in tournament.
Whatever the Warriors’ fate might be, one thing also is clear: Curry believes his squad can beat any team in their way, and he fully expects to be there for the ride.
“Hopefully doing all the things I can to get absolutely wholesome, prepared for a playoff run and that is what it is all about at this cut-off date,” Curry said Friday in an exclusive interview with NBC Bay Area’s Anthony Flores. “Being there for my teammates, attempting to complete out the season robust and know that whoever we play within the playoffs, we’ll be prepared.”
