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Kerr: Warriors will prioritize health over No. 1 seed

By Nathan Beighle

OAKLAND, CA - NOVEMBER 26: Injured Draymond Green #23 and Stephen Curry #30 of the Golden State Warriors celebrate on the bench during the Warriors come-from-behind win over the Orlando Magic at ORACLE Arena on November 26, 2018 in Oakland, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
OAKLAND, CA - NOVEMBER 26: Injured Draymond Green #23 and Stephen Curry #30 of the Golden State Warriors celebrate on the bench during the Warriors come-from-behind win over the Orlando Magic at ORACLE Arena on November 26, 2018 in Oakland, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images) /
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Golden State Warriors’ head coach Steve Kerr explained how the team will be valuing health over playoff seeding as the Dubs gets ready for the home stretch.

The Golden State Warriors are 21 games away from beginning what could be their fifth straight NBA Finals run. A historic stretch for the Warriors could be ruined if injuries take their toll on the roster.

Per the San Francisco Chronicle’s Connor Letourneau, the Warriors’ record-setting head coach won’t allow his team to be overworked in order to claim the West’s No. 1 seed. He’s prioritizing the health of his players to end the season.

"“We’d like to win it,” Golden State head coach Steve Kerr said of the Western Conference’s No. 1 seed. “Health is always No. 1, but we’re right there.”"

This is the right move from Kerr. It’s good to hear him talk about his plans moving forward and how he plans to keep the team healthy for the postseason. A seasoned, three-time champion, Kerr understands what it takes to get this team to the NBA Finals.

Potentially their last run together, the Warriors are easily still considered the NBA’s most talented team if they’re healthy. However, within the last few runs through the NBA, the Warriors have experienced health concerns.

Most of the issues come with Stephen Curry and his worrisome ankle. This season, it’s also been Draymond Green who has missed time ten-plus games. Kevin Durant and Klay Thompson have yet to miss significant minutes due to injury.

Kerr also knows that this team can win even when they aren’t the No. 1 seed. While having home court advantage would be ideal, the Warriors, by no means, need it to succeed. Last season, the Warriors won the Finals without being the West’s top seed.

While not being the one seed did come back to somewhat come back to bite them when he stared down a Game 7 on the road during the Western Conference Finals, at the end of the day, it wasn’t enough to eliminate them.

The Warriors, if they have to be forced to play without a Stephen Curry-like star, could be eliminated. We’ve seen how injury-prone he is, and we’ve also seen how different the team is without him.

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That said, health, like Kerr elaborated on, is far more important than any specific seed in the playoffs.

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