OKLAHOMA CITY – The season of mind games is underway in the NBA.
It was on display Wednesday, when the Warriors faced Houston and Rockets coach Mike D’Antoni made relatively sparse use of the 1-5 pick-and-roll that has been such a staple of his offense.
And it will be present again Saturday in Oklahoma City, where the Warriors will hold out Kevin Durant against the Thunder.
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Head coach Steve Kerr concedes that if this were a playoff game, Durant, who sustained a right ankle contusion last Sunday, would be in the lineup. He was a full participant in practice Friday, before the Warriors flew from Houston to OKC.
“Most likely, he’ll play in San Antonio,” Kerr said early Saturday afternoon. “We just feel more comfortable in giving him another couple days to rest.”
Durant’s absence prevents the possibility of a competitor summoning adrenaline overload against his former team. (That rationale was a factor in the Warriors activating DeMarcus Cousins immediately after facing his former team, the New Orleans Pelicans.)
Moreover, this move prevents the Thunder from seeing the lineup they potentially would face in the postseason. This is the last regular-season meeting between the teams, so OKC will enter the playoffs not having faced the Warriors at full strength.
Golden State Warriors
The Warriors gain an edge they’ll gladly take. There are four of five teams that get their full attention – and could at least push them in the postseason – and one of them is the Thunder with the explosive duo of Russell Westbrook and Paul George.
“They’re aggressive,” Stephen Curry said of the OKC All-Stars. “They know how to balance possessions in terms of who is getting shots and working off each other. They try to create confusion for the defense. They’re volume guys, as they should be with how talented they are.”
Of greater concern to the Warriors is the Thunder’s defense. OKC is No. 3 in defensive rating (105.6), and leads the NBA in steals (9.8 per game). George is a Defensive Player of the Year candidate.
“It’s still about Westbrook and his speed and his pace and force, (Steven) Adams’ power underneath and their overall defensive pressure,” Kerr said. “They force a lot of turnovers. They get a lot of offensive rebounds. You’ve got to be able to match their physicality and their speed, especially here on their home floor.”
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So, yeah, there is plenty of respect for the damage OKC is capable of doing.
That’s why playoff teams that meet in the final weeks of the regular season generally don’t reveal much. They’re already looking ahead to the second season.