Warriors' Bob Myers ‘fine' with differences in NBA facilities opening

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The Warriors are light years away from the NBA playoffs, and would be at a disadvantage even if they were sitting on a postseason berth.

Though most NBA teams have reopened facilities to players on a limited basis, the Warriors remain committed to caution during the coronavirus pandemic. Chase Center is entering its 11th week of silence. The gym is expected to remain quiet until at least June 1. Team employees have been informed that offices will be closed until at least mid-June.

Meanwhile, at least 19 teams are allowing their players to break a sweat on the court. Warriors general manager Bob Myers says he’s not bothered by this.

He also insists he’d feel no different if the playoffs were looming.

“I’d be fine,” he told NBC Sports Bay Area earlier this week. “I know you won’t believe me, but there’s nothing you can do. It’s not as if we’re being singled out. I think what you get upset about in life is when you feel you’re purposely mistreated.

“But when a circumstance lands you in a tougher spot, it’s different. This thing has affected lives beyond sports. To cry foul about your specific sports team, it’s not the right time to do that.”

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Geography and respective government allowances have been the most significant factor in determining which NBA teams allow players back into their facilities. Several teams, including the Utah Jazz and Portland Trail Blazers, opened their doors nearly two weeks ago. The Kings and Los Angeles Lakers opened last week. The Clippers didn’t open until Tuesday.

The Warriors are among 11 teams still awaiting the green light. So, naturally, there are ongoing whispers about competitive advantage.

It’s also hard to assume that a two-week difference in preparation wouldn’t matter if, say, the Houston Rockets and Warriors were potential opponents for the fifth time in the last six postseasons.

“You can always go down the road of whether this is fair or unfair,” Myers said. “But I don’t think anybody is taking that position because this is not something that was thrust purposely on any of us. We’re all in this pandemic. Nobody designed it. Nobody wanted to make it better for one city or state or team or sport. It’s just here. So, navigating it requires just doing the best you can, whether you’re a team or a league or a GM or a coach or a player.

“You have to take a step back and say, ‘We’re going to be good partners.’ We’re going to do what’s best for the league in a difficult environment.”

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NBA commissioner Adam Silver issued a memo on April 27 outlining conditions under which gyms could reopen. Among the initial rules are that there can be no more than four players at once, that no coaches are on site and there are no actual practices or scrimmages.

Also, there was this line: For any team that, due to a government restriction, is prohibited from making its facility available for use by the team’s players, the league will work with the team to identify alternatives.

The Warriors are such a team. They remain on the sideline, restricted by temporary restrictions imposed by Gov. Gavin Newsom, San Francisco Mayor London Breed and the County of San Francisco. There have not, however, been serious discussions regarding alternative sites.

For the Warriors, it seems to come down to staying on script and accepting the result.

“People often mention that when the cap was not smoothed that we benefitted,” Myers said, referring to the ability to sign Kevin Durant in July 2016. “Well, maybe we did. You can say we did. But you can also say we didn’t in other years, like when Draymond (Green) missed [Game 5 of the 2016 NBA Finals]. You can do this all day long.

“My sense is that no league has got it out for any team or is trying to help anybody. Cities open when they open. And you follow the rules. And, like life, sometimes it’s goes your way and sometimes it doesn’t.”

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