The Golden State Warriors announced they will be sitting Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Andrew Wiggins, and Draymond Green against the Cavaliers in Cleveland on Friday night. Golden State played an overtime thriller against Boston the night before and are sitting their stars as a way to guard against injuries.
It’s unfortunate that the fans in Cleveland won’t get to see Golden State at their best after the two franchises went toe-to-toe in the NBA Finals during LeBron James’ second stint in Ohio. The disappointment that fans may feel is not lost on Warriors head coach Steve Kerr.
Steve Kerr on the Warriors sitting their big names in Cleveland tonight
“I feel terrible for fans who bought a ticket expecting to see someone play. It’s a brutal part of the business. It’s why I’m going to continue to advocate for 72-game seasons.”
Full soundbite pic.twitter.com/P0ZGbv1DNE
— Anthony Slater (@anthonyVslater) January 20, 2023
Injury management affects all teams through an 82-game season. As Kerr mentioned, the data is clear on the risk that comes with playing a high level of intense NBA game minutes within a 24-hour span. The league has made attempts to minimize the wear and tear of the season through strategic road trips and two-game series between teams, but the simple solution is reducing the season to 72-games to eliminate all back-to-backs.
Furthermore, this specific situation for the Warriors could have been avoided by the league schedule makers. Why is Golden State playing Boston and Cleveland on back-to-back nights when those two cities aren’t close geographically? It’s a shame the Cleveland fans won’t get to boo or get their hearts broken by Curry, but it’s a decision that the NBA has decided to live with.