The Golden State Warriors are in some serious injury trouble. They’re coping with fatigue problems as they prepare to continue with the Sacramento Kings. Warriors head coach Steve Kerr called it a nightmare scenario. He noted that most of the stars, like Stephen Curry, Draymond Green, Jimmy Butler III and Zach LaVine are either dealing with health concerns or getting used to a compressed timeline.
Warriors guard Stephen Curry, 37, is sick with a deeper cold that has made him questionable. Meanwhile, Draymond Green, 35, is listed as questionable due to a right rib contusion that has sidelined him temporarily. As of Tuesday morning, Heat star Jimmy Butler III is coping with lower back soreness — identical problem as Green. His status for this Sunday looms large in the air. On top of that, LaVine is dealing with a back injury, which only adds to the Warriors’ healthy list of notables.
Kerr said he was worried about the fatigue, especially after a grueling stretch of games, on his guys. “When all is said and done, of our first 15 games, I think they’ll come in 26 days in 10 different cities,” he stated. It’s the same grueling schedule that has seemingly depleted some of the team’s aging stars. Consequently, the coaching staff is looking to implement load management practices.
Al Horford, 39 years old, will not participate in both games of any back-to-back matchups this season as part of a plan to preserve his energy and effectiveness throughout the year. Rick Celebrini, the team’s director of sports medicine and performance, has implemented a plan to rest their aging stars. He’ll roll this plan out for particular games. This intentional approach ultimately focuses on achieving peak performance while increasing the shelf life of our veteran athletes.
The Warriors, in particular, have compounded issues ahead of them with eight of their next nine games on the road. Those extensive travel demands would make things even worse given the fatigue challenges already plaguing the roster. While they work through these challenges, Kerr’s focus on monitoring player workloads will be key to keeping a contending team on the floor.
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