After a crushing overtime loss in a Finals rematch on Thursday, the Warriors made their way to Cleveland to take on the Cavaliers on Friday night. Well, some of the Warriors took on the Cavs.
It was announced Friday afternoon that Golden State would be without Stephen Curry, Draymond Green, Andre Iguodala, Klay Thompson, Andrew Wiggins and James Wiseman, each of whom was added to the inactive list for rest and injury management purposes.
Given the Warriors’ 22-23 record this season, the decision to hold out the majority of their key players was met with both confusion and second-hand disappointment for fans in Cleveland who will miss out on their lone opportunity to see Golden State’s stars in action. Ahead of the game, head coach Steve Kerr cleared up some of the confusion with an explanation.
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“We never factor in the record when we determine whether a guy’s going to play or not,” Kerr told the media. “That would be unfair to the player — it would be unfair to us if we just said, ‘Hey, we lost. We better play that guy even though he’s hurt.'”
Kerr continued by citing data and research that support the decision to protect players’ health:
It’s proven that if a guy’s banged up, (in) back-to-backs, players are much more likely to get injured and miss more games. And so that’s why you’re seeing league-wide, everybody is being cautious when a guy’s banged up and you’re just playing the long game … We’re gonna play it safe all year long as long as guys are banged up and vulnerable to injury.
Steve Kerr on the Warriors sitting their big names in Cleveland tonight
“I feel terrible for fans who bought a ticket expecting to see someone play. It’s a brutal part of the business. It’s why I’m going to continue to advocate for 72-game seasons.”
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In addition to his explanation, Kerr addressed the fans who are impacted, saying “I feel terrible for fans who buy tickets, who are expecting to see someone play and they don’t get to see that person play. It’s a brutal part of the business.”
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“I’m going to continue to advocate for 72-game seasons,” Kerr continued. “I know that means less revenue, but at some point, I think there just needs to be an awareness from everyone involved.”
Kerr’s plea for a shortened season is based on the premise that if players’ health is prioritized in that manner, the overall quality of the product will improve.
The NBA is two years removed from a shortened 72-game season in 2020-21 after the COVID-19 pandemic altered the course of the 2019-20 campaign. Each of the last two seasons has consisted of a standard 82-game schedule.