Steve Kerr Faces Difficult Decision On Resting Players

By Sumeet Paul | Mar 19, 2015

Following his recent choice to rest some of his star players, Golden State Warriors coach Steve Kerr incurred the wrath of a small number of fans who were left unimpressed by his strategy. While he may have smoothed that over after emailing them directly, he could choose to make a similar decision on Friday night.

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The Warriors face the New Orleans Pelicans on Friday and then take on the Utah Jazz on Saturday. With any back-to-backs at this stage of the season, coaches around the NBA will not want to take any unnecessary risks with the health of their players.

Golden State are 54-13 for the season and have a seven-and-a-half game cushion over the second-placed Memphis Grizzlies.

The top seed is almost certain for Kerr and Co. this year, although they still have the appeal of securing the best record in the league with the Atlanta Hawks not far behind them at 53-15.

So what does Kerr do? If he feels it is the right decision to give players such as Stephen Curry and Draymond Green the night off after an already gruelling season, then that is his choice.

He must not be influenced by anyone outside of the organisation as he needs to think about what is the best option to ensure that his players are ready when it comes to the playoffs.

Feb 22, 2015; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Golden State Warriors bench watch the game against the Indiana Pacers at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. Indiana defeats Golden State 104-98. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports

As a result, he should seriously consider the idea of sitting certain players out. The reserves are more than capable of stepping up and delivering a competitive performance and so it should be a useful exercise for all concerned.

Will Kerr consider the ramifications of resting players against New Orleans and in turn giving them a critical win in the playoff race?

However, there is also the added intrigue of having a direct impact on the race for the eighth and final playoff spot in the Western Conference.

The Pelicans are currently 37-30 for the year, and trail the Oklahoma City Thunder (38-30) by a half-game. Will Kerr consider the ramifications of resting players against New Orleans and in turn giving them a critical win in the playoff race?

The Warriors match up better against the Pelicans and even though no one will admit it publicly, they would prefer to avoid a first-round meeting with OKC if Russell Westbrook and a healthy Kevin Durant are leading the charge.

So resting key players for Friday’s game could also be a strategic move in helping the Pelicans get that eighth spot back and thus putting the Thunder temporarily back on the outside looking in.

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While it does seem like a smart move, it is also a very dangerous one. Golden State should be looking to establish a ruthless streak and concern themselves with their own performance. This is not the time for their momentum to be broken.

In addition, karma has a funny way of hitting back, and if Kerr did opt to rest players with the purpose of having an effect on the playoff race below, it could well come back to haunt him in the post-season. Therefore, let’s get Curry and Co. out on the court on both nights…

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