Should the Warriors be Worried About Extended Rest?

Everything seems to be lining up perfectly for the Golden State Warriors to earn their first trip to the NBA Finals since 1975.

Steve Kerr’s squad swept the New Orleans Pelicans in a four-game series that seemed to be more competitive than the final outcome would suggest. That in and of itself is good news for the Warriors, who really weren’t tested during a 67-win regular season.

Maybe more important than anything, Golden State came out of the first round healthy and prepared for an extended rest.

However, this leads us to our primary point in this article. How much rest is too much rest for the title contenders? By virtue of the Portland Blazers Game 4 win over the Memphis Grizzlies, that series is at least going to be extended to Wednesday in Memphis. If the Blazers come out on top there, we are looking at the Warriors next game likely being a week from Tuesday. Considering the team last played this past Saturday, that’s a rather extensive layoff.

It goes without saying, the last time Golden State had a rest of this length was during the All-Star break when it had eight days off between games. The Warriors responded by defeating the San Antonio Spurs by 11 points at home in their first game back from the break. However, they were just 4-3 in the seven games after that eight-day hiatus. Considering Golden State was 63-12 in all other games, that has to be a bit of a concern.

The Warriors may not be a jump-shooting team, but their two top scorers do make their money out on the perimeter. It will be interesting to see how Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson respond to an extended rest.

For his part, Kerr didn’t seem too worried about the layoff. In fact, he’s pretty happy about it.

I think this week off is perfect. It gives us a chance to take a breather, enjoy the fact that we’re 71-15. What a great year it’s been. And let’s keep it moving,” the first-year head coach said. “And we’ll have all week to prepare, but take a couple days to get your bodies right and think about what we’ve accomplished, and think about what’s to come.

This is a team that should be considered the odds-on favorites to win the title, and there’s really nothing to the entire momentum thing. With that said, an eight or nine-day rest could have an impact, especially if the Warriors do take on a Grizzlies team that would then be in rhythm after playing just a couple short days earlier.

Then again, this extended break could give the Warriors time to rejuvenate for what promises to be a competitive conference semifinal series against either Memphis or Portland.

Photo: USA Today Sports