The Golden State Warriors are starting to show signs of fatigue, and coach Steve Kerr wants to make sure the team isn't at risk of burning out early.
Golden State (41-9) has the NBA's best record, but they've started slow in several recent games and looked sloppy down the stretch. The Philadelphia 76ers have definitely improved since their 0-17 start to the season, but this Warriors team should be beating them by a lot more than five points.
Mindful of the wear and tear an NBA season can have on bodies and minds, Warriors coach Steve Kerr decided to take the team bowling on Tuesday evening instead of having a traditional practice.
"Practice would have been a complete waste of time, but we didn't want them sitting around the hotel all day either," Kerr told Diamond Leung of the Bay Area News Group.
"It just feels like we're a little fried emotionally. This was a good day to do something different."
[embed]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tb0Fbm22MBw[/embed]
So far this season, the Warriors have done a good job of managing their players' minutes - Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson have seen their minutes per game decrease from the 35-36 range down to 32-33, and blowout wins have allowed Golden State's starters to sit out the fourth quarter on several occasions. Center Andrew Bogut is averaging a career-low 23.9 MPG, and while injury trouble has kept his minutes down, Steve Kerr's effective rotations have helped maximize his efficiency on the floor. Despite playing 10 fewer minutes per game than he did in his best seasons in Milwaukee, Bogut's blocks per game, rebounds per game and assists per game have all either stayed the same or increased.
The Warriors are set to play Minnesota (11-41) at 5:00 PM PT on Wednesday evening. Draymond Green is listed as day-to-day after an ankle sprain picked up in Monday's win over Philadelphia, but he's likely to play.
More Golden State Warriors News
Back to the Golden State Warriors Newsfeed