During the Warriors’ golden years, Andre Iguodala always knew and understood that the team’s top regular-season goal was to earn the No. 1 overall seed for the postseason and exploit the homecourt advantage provided by Oracle Arena.
In their attempts to reclaim elite status this season, priorities have changed. They’re not conceding to the top seed to the Suns, the only team with a better record, but the Warriors clearly have a higher priority.
Nothing is more important than being as healthy as possible when the playoffs begin.
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SIGN UP HERE If that means the Warriors have to go through Phoenix, they’ll take their chances. And they’ll like those chances a lot more if they’re healthy because, as Iguodala explained Thursday, the Suns are a legitimate championship threat.
“One thing we know about them is they are a championship-caliber team,” Iguodala said. “They proved that last year when they got to The Finals. They have a hungry group that wants to get back They have a young core that wants to get better. They have a really good mix of young and veteran players. You’ve got Chris Paul and Jae Crowder as their vets. Chris Paul is doing some incredible things, an MVP candidate year in, year out the last 16 years, which is amazing.
“And then, you’ve got the young core of (Devin) Booker and (Deandre) Ayton that everyone talks about and (Mikel) Bridges. And Cam Johnson, shooting the lights out, looking to get a big payday himself.”
This is about as complete a breakdown of an opposing team as an NBA player will give in the regular season. That Iguodala, practically a player-coach, is paying such close attention to the Suns indicates that the Warriors recognize the hazards on the road ahead.
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Their first priority, however, is to navigate a roster quite different from that which sustained them a few years ago. Those Warriors had four All-Stars in their primes: Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant, Draymond Green, Klay Thompson. They had two high-impact players, Shaun Livingston and Igoudala, starring in reserve roles. Health was important, but youth was on their side.
Not so these days. Durant is gone. Curry is doing a remarkable job of extending his prime but turns 34 next month, 10 days after Green turns 32. Thompson turns 32 next week. Iguodala, who was 35 when the Warriors last reached The Finals, turned 38 last week.
The age factor means minutes must be monitored and bodies must be managed. Iguodala has missed played in 25 of the team’s 52 games and will sit out at least another 10 or so. Green has missed 18 games and will miss at least the next seven, beginning with the Kings on Thursday at Chase Center. After 31 months away, Thompson will get rest nights and is not scheduled to play both games of back-to-back sets. Curry can expect at least another half dozen rest nights.
Different team, different time, different mentality.
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And it’s essential as the Suns, mostly young, are looking somewhat like the potent Warriors of seven years ago.
“They’re just plugging guys in and out,” Iguodala said. “You’ve got to give a lot of credit to their coaching staff. They’re doing a hell of a job over there ... they’re just really hungry to win.
“You’ve got other teams in the West, too, but one thing about Phoenix is they're really, really tough to beat at home. So, that homecourt advantage will come into play.”
The Suns, at 22-5, own the second-best home record in the league. The best home record, 24-4, belongs to ... the Warriors, who are three games behind Phoenix in the standings.
No doubt they’d like to ensure every potential Game 7 will be in San Francisco, but one look at the roster explains why this season is about doing everything possible to have all major characters available in April and beyond.