How the Warriors spent their summer vacation
Byron Scott is not concerned about Kevin Durant potentially missing early action in the NBA Finals, but adds that the Warriors will need KD to win the title. (1:34)
OAKLAND, Calif. — By the time the Golden State Warriors tip off their fifth consecutive appearance in the NBA Finals, they’ll have had nine days of rest. Nine full days off between sweeping the Portland Trail Blazers in the Western Conference finals and taking on the Toronto Raptors in Game 1 of the NBA Finals.
For veteran center Andrew Bogut, the extra time off was appreciated, even if it wasn’t exactly a summer vacation.
“I have two kids,” Bogut said. “So that answers your question. Not a whole lot. You get home and you look at the clock and it’s 8 at night. Probably some of the single guys will be a little bit bored, but yeah, with kids — two kids under 2 or one just over 2 — there’s not a whole lot of time for relaxation.”
Still, for Bogut and the Warriors, the extra time off has allowed for a physical break for a banged-up team. Both Kevin Durant (calf) and DeMarcus Cousins (quad) are rehabbing from injuries that would’ve caused them to miss any additional games the Warriors would’ve played in the Western Conference finals. Former Finals MVP Andre Iguodala also missed Game 4 against Portland with a calf injury and benefited from the break.
But the benefits for the Warriors went beyond the physical, as coach Steve Kerr explained.
“The playoffs in a way are — even though they’re stress-filled, you get these breaks in between series where you’re not traveling, you’re not stepping onto an airplane, and you have multiple nights without a game,” he said. “It’s almost unheard of after the last seven, eight months. So you take advantage of it, and you enjoy it, and you get ready for the next one.”
The Golden State Warriors and Toronto Raptors are set to clash in the NBA Finals. Tune in to see which team will capture the Larry O’Brien Trophy.
Thursday, May 30
• Game 1 | 9 p.m. ET | ABC/WatchESPN
Sunday, June 2
• Game 2 | 8 p.m. ET | ABC/WatchESPN
Wednesday, June 5
• Game 3 | 9 p.m. ET | ABC/WatchESPN
Friday, June 7
• Game 4 | 9 p.m. ET | ABC/WatchESPN
This isn’t the first time the Warriors have dealt with this kind of gap in the postseason schedule. During the 2016-17 season, the Warriors closed out the San Antonio Spurs in Game 4 of the Western Conference finals on May 22 and then didn’t start the NBA Finals against the Cleveland Cavaliers until June 1.
Those Warriors won the Finals in five games after their nine-day break. But of the other six teams to have had at least nine days of rest before the Finals, only three won the title. So the long break is no guarantee of success.
Still, the Warriors are finding ways to stay engaged during their time off — and time apart.
“We got a group text and usually we’re talking about the game,” center Kevon Looney said. “‘Did you see that play, did you see what happened?’ So we always talk about that. And we’re with each other so much on the road and we got enough bonding time, we need to get away from each other sometimes.”
Who is the most vocal in the chat?
“It depends on the day,” Looney said with a smile. “You got some days it’s Draymond [Green] or KD, Andre, and maybe and probably Boge. Them guys they talk a lot in the group chat, so they’re there for us.”
Find everything you need to know about the Finals here.
• Schedules, matchups and more
• Predictions: Favorites and likely MVPs
• 5-on-5: Biggest Finals questions
• Warriors heavy favorites over Raptors
• What we know and don’t know
• What’s next for eliminated teams? 
Warriors guard Quinn Cook watched the last couple Eastern Conference finals games at Durant’s house, noting prior to Game 6 on Saturday night that the pair watches games the same way fans do, “nitpicking both teams.”
“It’s just basketball,” Cook said. “Like see how they’re guarding this — I’m just learning, just learning … but for me and him as well we just watched, just as fans of the game, honestly.”
The Warriors chose to eschew team watch parties for the Eastern Conference finals games during their time off, instead letting each player do his own thing and get together in small groups, or stay connected via the group chat. Looney said he has been spending time with his family and his girlfriend, something that he doesn’t always get to do during the regular season.
“It’s kind of weird,” Looney admitted. “You’re home every day you’re waking up like, ‘Man, I still got my suitcase packed from the last trip,’ like, ‘Man, when we leaving again?'”
To Looney’s point, the Warriors are functionally on one of their longest road trips ever — though one with plenty of time at home in the middle of it. Their last game at Oracle Arena was on May 16, and, because they’re opening the NBA Finals on the road for the first time in this five-season run, they won’t play another home game until June 5.
The 19-day gap between home games is the second-longest for the Warriors under Kerr, behind a 20-day gap that spanned the All-Star break in 2016. According to Elias Sports Bureau research, it’s also one of the longest stretches between home games in a single postseason in NBA history; the 1982 Los Angeles Lakers and 2013 San Antonio Spurs both went 20 days between their final home game in the conference finals and their first in the NBA Finals.
So this is a unique challenge for the Warriors’ coaching staff, one they have to balance by allowing the players a break from the grind of another long season while still getting them mentally prepared for the task at hand. To help deal with that, Kerr and his staff scheduled several scrimmages, something the team doesn’t do much of during the regular season.
“I think we try and be smart with it,” Iguodala said. “We got a few guys just trying to get back from injury and it’s given us some time to get that rest and take advantage of it. So I think whatever is thrown our way, we just try to make the most of it.”
After all the years at the heart of the playoff spotlight, the Warriors have been outwardly both laid-back and confident heading into another NBA Finals appearance. They are enjoying the moment and understand the historical significance of what they’re trying to accomplish, in becoming the first team since the 2000-02 Lakers to win three straight NBA championships. In order to do that, Kerr knows his group must be as fresh at it can be — in every aspect.
“We want to give them a break emotionally,” Kerr said. “But we also want to keep them on edge, so that’s the fine line we’re walking. … I’m really pleased with the way practice has gone this week.”