Editor’s note: Kerith Burke, NBC Sports Bay Area’s Warriors reporter, will take you inside the two-time defending NBA champions as only she can each Friday with the Ask Kerith Mailbag. Send her a question on Twitter and Instagram using the hashtag #askkerith
Tip-Off
The Warriors arrived in Houston with a 2-0 series lead over the Rockets. The Warriors have had some let-down games at Oracle Arena this season, but the playoffs are a different animal.
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Klay Thompson summed it up well:
“I think Houston has raised our awareness, our level of play. We respect them greatly, especially the battle we had last year in the seven-game series, so we want to take care of home court because we don’t want to give this team a game. That would give them a ton of confidence. Now the goal is to go steal one in Houston ... and go do our job down there.”
Game On!
The most popular mailbag question this week was about DeMarcus Cousins.
@MzNicoleC @44Bradg @CuffyMarva @DevineHeidi @robert_riggans @dubsandstuff @Ay_Dot_El @evenstrongerps4 all wanted to know how he’s doing. Here’s a look:
As far as whether DeMarcus could be a Warrior next season, Monte Poole wrote about that here.
The short answer is maybe. Cousins' quad injury might have changed things to a degree that makes him more affordable.
Golden State Warriors
@scottlassley Will the losing team in this series have a substantially different roster next season?
Oh, great question! When Rockets general manager Daryl Morey proclaimed beating the Warriors is all his team thinks about, losing to them in the playoffs must feel bitter. At some point, do they blow up their roster and try something else?
Not so fast. James Harden and Chris Paul signed contract extensions last summer. The Rockets locked in Clint Capela for five years and $90 million in the offseason, too.
And if other teams around the NBA are wondering if this is the last season the Warriors will have the same potency to win the championship, will they make drastic changes? Probably not.
As for the Warriors, Kevin Durant and Klay Thompson are scheduled for free agency this summer. Cousins' future is in the air. That’s three of your five starters in flux. I feel good that Klay will be back, and maybe Draymond Green gets a contract extension in the offseason.
But Andrew Bogut will not be back. Kevon Looney and Jordan Bell are free agents. Quinn Cook, Jonas Jerebko and Alfonzo McKinnie are not under contract for next season. So, the Warriors could look very different next season, although per your question, it would not be in response to losing the series to the Rockets.
@DaW7 What changed with KD..he was more passive heading into playoffs but after game 2 last series he’s been dominating game after game..can he always dominate like this but chooses not to for the sake of the team? Also does Curry feel more pressure to do more so he’s not left out?
I don’t agree KD was passive heading into the playoffs, but I understand what you mean if his games felt quieter or it seemed like he was going with a facilitator role more than usual.
KD in the playoffs is averaging 34.3 points per game. His game-by-game scoring breakdown, starting with the playoff opener against the Clippers, is 23, 21, 38, 33, 45, 50, 35 and 29. He’s also dished out the third-most assists (39) for the Warriors in the playoffs, behind Draymond Green (63) and Steph (40).
After KD dropped that 50-spot against the Clippers, I asked Shaun Livingston about his teammate's performances. Shaun said KD makes the smart basketball play. Yes, he can shoot over people or be nearly unstoppable one-on-one, but KD senses the game and has no problem feeding teammates.
KD has a green light to do whatever he wants on the floor, and so does Steph Curry. Along with Klay, how the Warriors' big three co-exist is special.
@MusicMost Hey KB, I wanted to ask about @AndreIguodaIa he seems so calm, almost above it all and unshakable. But he’s a top level competitor and must have that extreme fire to compete. Tell us about that and when do you see it? How does it manifest itself with teammates and opponents. Thx.
Andre has 15 seasons in the NBA. He’s seen everything. His role means the spotlight goes to other players, but Andre is GOOD. He’s figured out this game, where he fits in it, and the business of the NBA.
It starts with his body. He’s mastered keeping himself fine-tuned. He has a mostly vegan diet. He has an excellent relationship with Warriors trainers, past and present. And he said this after Game 2:
“Honestly, this is a personal opinion, just got really good genes. Protecting the genes, though, at the same time. Watching what you put in the body, sleep. I drink a lot of water. I don’t drink anything but water. That’s played a big role, as far as what I intake. I have philosophies on what the body needs, and it's helping me, so that's just my personal thing.”
Andre can be a jokester sometimes, so I wonder how serious he was about revealing water is his secret. But he has found a fountain of youth. And don’t forget the role golf plays, giving him time away from the court to spiritually refuel.
His attitude also is healthy. He brings an intelligence and world-weary skepticism to things. Several times this season, Andre has referred to the end of the road, meaning he knows he's in the twilight of his career. I think he has a good perspective about what he wants for his remaining time in the league.
@bmw3613 Good morning! What is the reality of the NBA looking at any of this ‘data’ that the Rockets have been collecting? Also, who is collecting data on all of these extra steps back that Harden needs for his 3’s? Because that boy has travelled the world this season alone.
This question came after Game 1, when all the talk was about officiating. James Harden, the player who gets to the free -throw line more than anyone else in the NBA, said he just wants a “fair chance” from the referees to play. Here’s Draymond’s reaction to that moment, if you missed it.
The data the question-asker is referring to is from a Sam Amick story that reveals the Rockets used NBA game reports to conclude missed calls and the points Houston supposedly would have gotten off those calls is why the team lost Game 7 of last season's Western Conference finals.
I'm frustrated about all the talk regarding officiating, and the situation has turned into a scorecard of grievances for both teams. The high road is to acknowledge refs are human and they make mistakes, and dominating the conversation with gripes is some sour gamesmanship.
Let’s leave this topic with some words from Steve Kerr:
“Every coach in the league will tell you, you watch the tape afterwards, you think, man, we got screwed. The reality is that you get some, you lose some. The refs do the best job they can, and you move on to the next game.
So, I'm disappointed this has become the whole narrative when it really should be about two great teams competing against each other.”
@harbaughsoldier Do warriors players and fans realize these are glorious times right now and that this may be last time we ever see this great super team dynasty in our lifetimes.
The players do. Some fans don’t.
Sometimes I want to shake fans by the shoulders when they send knee-jerk reactions to my mentions about trading players when there’s an iota of adversity, or firing Steve. I know weed is legal in California, but y’all need to stop smoking.
From the very first question in the mailbag about what this season’s goal is, to right now in the playoffs, seizing the moment to three-peat as champions is the only thing the Warriors are thinking about. Some players never sniff the playoffs in their careers. Heck, it took DeMarcus 10 years to be on a playoff team. Moments like this are fleeting.
The Warriors reached four consecutive NBA Finals! They won three championships! They could win three in a row! What we're witnessing right now is a bona fide dynasty. Reflect on it, and enjoy.
High Five
This week’s High Five goes to Joe Lacob for making it clear he wants Draymond to be a Warrior forever. This matches what Kerr has said: The NBA championship banners don’t hang without Draymond.
The more I get to know Draymond, the more I appreciate him. He's indeed the heartbeat of the team.
Follow Kerith on Twitter @KerithBurke and on Instagram @warriorskerith, and, of course, watch her on NBC Sports Bay Area’s Warriors coverage all season.