OAKLAND — The Warriors have been locked into the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference Playoffs for a couple weeks. Their first-round opponent, however, is far less certain, with only two regular season games remaining.
As of Saturday night, six teams remain within 1.5 games of each other for the No. 4-8 playoff seeds. Three squads have identical 46-34 records, including the team that handed Golden State its most recent defeat: the New Orleans Pelicans.
On Saturday night, New Orleans visited Golden State desperately needing a win to keep its playoff hopes alive. Mission accomplished. The Pelicans stayed in their No. 5 slot after beating the Warriors 126-120 in Oracle Arena.
Despite the frustration of Golden State’s second straight loss, forward Draymond Green took solace in knowing Saturday night’s matchup provided familiarity with a potential first-round opponent.
“I think it’s great for us,” Green said about playing the Pelicans. “That’s a completely different team without DeMarcus (Cousins). To play them now and see the different things they are doing, and to understand the things they are going to, what sets they like, different guys are playing with different confidence levels. To get a feel for that, it was good for us.”
Green has paid close attention to the precarious playoff race. With fewer than one week remaining, he looks forward to watching the inevitable shake-up in standings.
“As a basketball fan, it’s fun to watch,” Green said. “As a player, kind of not being sure who you are going to play, and the coaching staff, is a bit tough, especially with the quick turnaround. But that’s the challenge of the playoffs, you got to get ready to go. Whatever is thrown at you, you got to be ready for it.”
Golden State’s video staff is bearing the brunt of the Western Conference’s uncertainty. Prior to Golden State’s loss on Saturday night, head coach Steve Kerr said the Warriors’ video room is working overtime to compile scouting reports for all six potential opponents.
“Those poor guys are working late at night,” Kerr said.
For now, Golden State’s worries rest in correcting its shortcomings after consecutive losses to the Indiana Pacers and Pelicans. In each defeat, the Warriors allowed 126 points.
Kerr has trivialized results during this stretch, emphasizing improvement and of course, health. Stephen Curry continues to sit with a left knee injury that will sideline him for some time during the playoffs, though his timetable is unknown.
Kerr has also reiterated that the final stretch of the regular season is important in developing a rhythm entering postseason play. Golden State has two remaining games — at Phoenix and Utah — to find its groove.
Fortunately for the Warriors, they know their playoff fate. Their first-round opponent, however, is yet to be decided.
“That’s the beauty of the game,” forward Kevin Durant said. “That’s the beauty of the Western Conference— teams fighting all the way to the end. It’s going to be a great playoffs. For us, we just got to keep locking in and getting better every day, and wait to see who we play.”