OAKLAND -- Warriors coach Steve Kerr, eschewing the critics, is going back to a formula he used 25 days ago that provided fantastic results.
He plans to rest both Draymond Green and Andre Iguodala Wednesday night, when the Warriors face the fading Suns in Phoenix.
“That’s planned, and then we’ll see how tonight goes,” Kerr said prior to tipoff against the Timberwolves at Oracle Arena. “If something happens tonight injury-wise, then we could rest more. But those two guys will for sure rest tomorrow night.
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The last time Kerr decided to rest a few of his mainstays, it pulled the team out of a slump. Since sitting Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Green and Iguodala for a national TV game at San Antonio on March 11, the Warriors have won 11 in a row.
Yet that move was followed by considerable backlash from former players, a few current players and, most notably commissioner Adam Silver, who issued a memo strongly describing resting healthy players as an “extremely significant issue” for the league.
The topic of resting uninjured players is scheduled to be discussed this week when at the Board of Governors meeting this week in New York.
Kerr, as he did the night before the game against the Spurs, made the decision after consulting with members of the Warriors’ training staff.
Golden State Warriors
“They told me Draymond could really use the night off,” Kerr said. “The numbers show it. I talked to Draymond. He admits it, too.”
Though Green has been solid at both ends and is one game removed from posting a triple-double against the Wizards, his shooting has declined over the past three games. Since scoring 19 points on 9-of-15 shooting against Houston on March 28, he’s 7-of-24 from the field.
Iguodala has been consistently magnificent over the past two months, shooting 57.7 percent from the field and making an impact at both ends.
In both cases, Kerr said the decision was based more on data related to fatigue than overall production.