Warriors interim head coach Mike Brown has plenty of time to prepare his squad for the Western Conference Finals, and he knows it. Brown went on KNBR with Tolbert and Lund on Wednesday to share some insight into the Warriors’ practice schedule this week as they prepare for the first game of the conference finals, which will be played on either Sunday or Tuesday.
What determines the date of that first game will be the outcome of the Spurs-Rockets series, which San Antonio now leads 3-2 after beating Houston in overtime on Tuesday night. Brown said he and the team, which practiced Wednesday after taking Tuesday off, began preparing for both opponents, with a heavier focus on the Spurs.
“We’ve just been kind of watching the series up until today,” Brown said. “Obviously with San Antonio winning last night and them having a 3-2 advantage, as a staff we’ve started filling in on those guys a little bit today.”
Brown went on to say that although the team will have Thursday off again before resuming practice on Friday and Saturday, the staff will still meet and focus “mostly” on San Antonio. If the Spurs win game 6, the conference finals will begin Sunday. If the Rockets force a game 7 against San Antonio, the Warriors won’t play until next Tuesday. Those extra days of prep would give Brown and his staff ample time to plan for Houston if necessary, he said.
The defensive versatility of the Warriors was also discussed, as Brown mentioned the ability of his big men to switch onto guards as well as the height of Golden State’s wing reserves like Pat McCaw and Matt Barnes.
The full interview is available below, and the discussion about preparing for both San Antonio and Houston begins at the 1:05 mark.
