The Golden State Warriors weren’t even going to make the playoffs this season, so should the NBA season be canceled over coronavirus fears, there’s not much to lose from a team perspective.
Imagine the season being voided and the Warriors coming back at full strength next term – minus Kevin Durant – with a lottery player in their ranks and winning the title. Unfair right?
Well, it is a possibility.
So, when Steve Kerr spoke to The Athletic on Friday, he made sure to express sympathy for the contenders who have had to leave their records behind due to the season being suspended, with cancelation a very real possibility.
“Yeah, it’s … for us, it’s different,” Kerr admitted. “Because we’re not going anywhere (this season, competitively). So I feel sorry for the teams that have a shot — Clippers, Lakers, Bucks, Toronto, Boston. All these teams who have a shot at a championship.”
The Warriors dominated the league over the last five years, going to five straight Finals and winning three championships. This season was supposed to be chalked up as a loss, but they may actually be saved if the COVID-19 threat prompts the league to call the campaign off completely.
Of course, there’s more than silverware and bragging rights at stake, something Kerr also alluded to.
“Obviously, there are much bigger concerns than basketball,” he continued. “But this is what we do. If you’re in the NBA, this is what you work for. So I feel for all the athletes out there, the NBA guys, the college guys, the girls who won’t be playing in the tournament.
“But as far as we’re concerned, we just have to follow whatever the NBA tells us and we’ll be ready for whatever they ask. If they ask us to ramp up the practice and get ready for games in a month or two, that’s what we’ll do. But in the meantime, the most important thing is to follow the guidelines the health experts are laying out for us.”
