Steve Kerr is a master at maintaining perspective. In early March, when his Warriors stumbled through a 2-5 rut in the wake of Kevin Durant’s knee injury, the third-year head coach reminded players that regular-season adversity would only buoy their NBA title pursuit.
“This is going to sound crazy,” Kerr said at the time, “but I kind of like it.”
After spending almost three decades around the NBA, Kerr recognized that teams that have experienced a significant regular-season injury are better prepared for the unpredictability of the playoffs. Now, with Durant questionable for Game 2 of the first-round Wednesday against Portland with a left calf strain, Golden State is taking solace in how it rallied together the last time the eight-time All-Star was hurt.