Warriors' Kerr favors shorter season to fix NBA "rest" issue

CLEVELAND (AP) — Steve Kerr doesn't like being the bad guy, andempathizes with fans who get upset when NBA teams rest starplayers.

Golden State's coach has a solution — less games.

Following the Warriors' overtime loss in Boston on Thursdaynight, Kerr sat superstar Steph Curry along with starters DraymondGreen, Klay Thompson and Andrew Wiggins on Friday night against theCleveland Cavaliers.

But even without their top players, the Warriors made 233-pointers and stunned the Cavs 120-114 to cap a five-game trip at3-2.

Curry, who recently returned after missing 11 games with ashoulder injury, played 43 minutes and scored 29 points in theWarriors' 121-118 loss to the Celtics in a rematch of last season'sNBA Finals won by Golden State.

Kerr's decision meant fans were deprived of maybe seeing Curryput on a shooting clinic like he did at Rocket Mortgage Fieldhousein last year's All-Star Game. It was Golden State's only visit toCleveland.

“I feel terrible for fans who buy tickets expecting to seesomeone play and they don’t get to see that person play,” Kerr saidduring his pregame news conference. “It’s a brutal part of thebusiness. It’s why I’m going to continue to advocate for 72-gameseasons.”

Kerr's rationale is that a shorter season would better protectplayers' health, balance the schedule and improve the overallquality of play. Most importantly, it would keep players fresh forthe playoffs when the games mean more.

“You take 10 games off the schedule, it always feels like with10 games left in the year everybody’s sort of had it anyways,” hesaid. “That creates enough rest where we don’t have to have some ofthese crazy situations. I think you’d see way fewer games missedfrom players.”

Jordan Poole was the only starter to face the Cavs and finishedwith 32 points as the Warriors handed Cleveland its mostembarrassing loss.

Kerr has been juggling his rotation lately while trying tobalance bringing players back from injuries and getting themadequate rest. Curry was out with his shoulder while Wiggins missed15 games with a strained leg muscle and a non-COVID illness.

Kerr has also been trying to snap his team out of a season-longfunk. The Warriors are 22-23 and just 5-18 on the road.

He said the decision to rest his four players against the Cavshad nothing to do with the loss to the Celtics.

“You can’t operate that way,” he said. "I know it’s a big topicaround the league. We have so much more data. So much moreawareness of players’ vulnerability. It’s proven that if guys arebanged up, back-to-backs, players are much more likely to getinjured and miss more games and that’s why you’re seeing it leaguewide.

“Everybody is being cautious when a guy is banged up. You’rejust playing the long game.”

While the Warriors are severely short-handed, the Cavs aresitting star guard Donovan Mitchell for the second straight gamewith a strained groin.

Cavs coach J.B. Bickerstaff believes there's a bigger benefit togiving players more rest. It extends careers, therefore giving fansthe chance to seem them play longer.

“You look at these guys and they’re playing 15 years to someguys 20 years," he said. “So it’s a trade off of five games aseason and you get five more years of these guys playing. So Ithink in the long run, the fans get their money’s worth becauseguys do get to extend their career and play more years.

"I know from our standpoint where you only get to see a teamonce a year. I know that can be frustrating for fans if those guysdon’t play but I do think for the greater good of the game, gettingthese superstars and elite players for multiple years and multiplemore seasons, I think is only good for the game.”

Cleveland was also without reserve guard Ricky Rubio, whorecently returned after missing a year following knee surgery. TheCavs are just being cautious with Rubio, who played 12 minutesagainst the Grizzlies.