The Golden State Warriors have a first-round matchup against the San Antonio Spurs to start the postseason, and as of right now, the defending champs aren’t expecting any surprises from the Spurs lineup over the course of their series.
Despite the enigmatic status of Kawhi Leonard, Warriors coach Steve Kerr said he and the Warriors don’t expect Leonard to magically get healthy enough to play in the postseason.
Kerr and the Warriors addressed the media after practice on Thursday and fielded questions about what to expect out of the Spurs in their upcoming series. While Draymond Green said he expects a strong test and a fun atmosphere in San Antonio, no one associated with the Warriors expects Leonard to actually take the floor for the Spurs.
Steve Kerr said the Warriors are preparing for a Spurs team without Kawhi: "We do not expect him to play" pic.twitter.com/6Y5WMAKXj1
— Anthony Slater (@anthonyVslater) April 12, 2018
“If he does we’ll be completely caught off guard,” Kerr said with a smile on Thursday. It was clear the coach was joking, but he made it equally clear that the Warriors are not planning for the series with Leonard in the lineup.
Green, meanwhile, went as far as to say that it “doesn’t matter” if Leonard comes back, because the Spurs will be a tough series regardless of whether the team’s star forward suits up.
Draymond Green said “it doesnt matter” if Kawhi Leonard returns. Green has respect for Kawhi but he says he still takes Spurs seriously regardless pic.twitter.com/yR5mndqP3O
— Mark Medina (@MarkG_Medina) April 12, 2018
What the opponent expects from Leonard and the Spurs is arguably more important than what anyone in San Antonio is saying about the injury that has limited Leonard to just nine games this season. It could all be a fair amount of gamesmanship here, but the Warriors certainly feel comfortable assuming they won’t be the only team with an injured superstar during the first round of the playoffs.
