Kerr: Players have earned say in rest decisions
OAKLAND, Calif. — Golden State Warriors coach Steve Kerr said his players have earned the power to influence whether or not they’ll be rested as the team nears the NBA record for wins in a season and the playoffs approach.
“It’s the players who are setting a record,” Kerr said Wednesday before the Warriors took on the Los Angeles Clippers. “It’s not the organization. It’s the players who are doing it. So they will absolutely have some say in matters down the stretch in terms of how we approach everything. But again, we could lose the next couple games, and all that’s thrown out the window.
“I know they want to get it. So we’ll act accordingly. If the players want to go and they’re fine physically, we’ll probably play them.”
Kerr said the wins record is “enticing” but secondary to earning the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference and keeping the players healthy going into the postseason.
The Warriors are 64-7 after Wednesday night’s 114-98 win over the Clippers and have 11 games left to play. The league record is 72 wins, set by the Chicago Bulls in 1995-96.
“That’s pretty enticing,” Kerr said.
However, Kerr said the Warriors’ primary goal is clinching the No. 1 seed in the West, a feat they have yet to secure with the San Antonio Spurs just four games back in the standings.
“Fortunately right now, the goal of going for the 1-seed goes hand-in-hand with the record that everyone wants to talk about,” Kerr said. “So we’re able to just keep trying to win.”
Kerr acknowledged the run for the record could be a complicating factor as the Warriors try to maintain their health entering the postseason.
“Yeah, this whole idea of setting a record does make things a little trickier,” he said.
NBA scoring leader Stephen Curry has missed just three games this season, one earlier this month with a sore ankle and two in December with a bruised lower leg, and he is averaging 33.9 minutes per game. Other players who could be rested include Andrew Bogut, who has had durability issues, and Draymond Green, who leads the team in minutes played at 34.4 per game.
Kerr emphasized that players will play only if healthy.
“Right now we’ve been really consistent with all of that,” he said. “The guys who are hurt are not playing; the guys who are healthy are playing.”
