Dub Hub: Steve Kerr blames NBA’s playoff schedule for Steph Curry’s hamstring injury

Rounding up all Warriors and NBA related news for Wednesday, May 28th.

In today’s Dub Hub:

• Steve Kerr blames NBA’s playoff schedule for Steph Curry’s hamstring injury in Game 1 against the Timberwolves.
• Draymond Green says he was “inspired” to make another All-Defensive Team this season by former Warrior Chris Paul.
• Kevin Durant and the Spurs had “mutual interest” during last year’s trade deadline, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania.

It’s been two weeks since the Golden State Warriors were eliminated by the Minnesota Timberwolves in the Western Conference Semifinals. But for head coach Steve Kerr, the loss isn’t the only thing still lingering on his mind.

The moment Stephen Curry grabbed at his hamstring in Game 1 wasn’t just a fluke—it was the result of the cumulative stress his body endured during an intense playoff run.

In a piece by Yahoo Sports’ Tom Haberstroh, Kerr reflects on the end of Golden State’s playoff run and points directly to the NBA’s relentless schedule as the root cause of Curry’s injury.

Via Yahoo Sports:

“Do you think Steph pulling his hamstring has anything to do with playing 48 hours after logging 46 minutes of Game 7 in Houston?” he asked.

“One hundred percent,” Kerr remembers Celebrini telling him. “If he had an extra day or two … we can’t prove this, but I have no doubt based on our understanding of the scientific literature that the hamstring injury was the result of inadequate recovery and fatigue.”

Curry wasn’t the only star whose postseason was cut short. Milwaukee Bucks point guard Damian Lillard and Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum both suffered a ruptured Achilles, while Denver Nuggets forward Aaron Gordon strained his hamstring just before his team’s Game 7 elimination. Gordon cited the one-day turnaround between games as a major factor in his injury.

Kerr would like to see change—but knows it’ll come at a cost, one he believes the league isn’t willing to pay.

“I think all the complaints of the wear and tear, and the scheduling, are all valid,” Kerr says. “But they all fall on deaf ears because of the dollar sign. I don’t think the league’s constituents are willing to give up any money, that’s the problem. But we all know this is not healthy or sustainable if you want guys to survive out there and not have injuries.”

For more on this and other news around the NBA, here is our latest news round-up for Wednesday, May 28th:

Warriors News:

Step aside, millennial NBA stars: Gen Z is taking over — and winning a title could be a young man’s game now | Yahoo Sports

Pace is indeed up, and according to player-tracking research, players are putting about 9% more mileage on the court per 48 minutes compared to a decade ago. Throw in the fact the NBA has wedged an in-season tournament and a play-in tournament into the schedule, and it’s hard to see where top vets can find enough recovery time.

“The most important point of all of this,” Kerr says, “is the pace and space and how much more mileage that players are covering. You see all these injuries ... I don’t think players get enough rest anymore.”

Draymond Green says he was ‘inspired’ by Chris Paul to make an All-Defensive team

Why Steph won’t follow Warriors, NBA peers in starting podcast | NBC Sports Bay Area

“… You won’t see me doing it, though,” Curry added. “Don’t worry about that. I have a lot of other things I want to do other than be behind the mic every day.”

Curry’s passions lie elsewhere, Dub Nation. The Draymond Green Show with Baron Davis podcast will have to do for now.

“[Because] if you’re going to do something, you’ve got to be all in,” Curry concluded. “It is a time commitment; it’s a big lift. It’s not something I’m passionate about.”

The Mavericks, like the Warriors in 2020, will attempt a two-timeline approach | The Athletic

The path the Warriors have been on the last five years has relevance to the one the Dallas Mavericks are about to go down. By all indications, the Mavericks will begin their own two-timeline approach when they draft Cooper Flagg with the No. 1 pick and put him next to Anthony Davis and Kyrie Irving. Flagg doesn’t turn 19 until December. He is so young that he would have been ineligible for the draft if he had been born 11 days later.

Jimmy Butler gets scared by a magician’s snake trick

NBA News:

Tyrese Haliburton triple-double keys Pacers’ Game 4 win vs. Knicks | ESPN

Haliburton became the first player in postseason history with at least 30 points, 15 assists and 10 rebounds with zero turnovers in a game since turnovers were first tracked in 1977-78, according to ESPN Research. Only Nikola Jokic in 2023 and James Harden in 2021 have accomplished the feat in the regular season.

Pascal Siakam added 30 points while Haliburton had four steals in his second career postseason triple-double. Obi Toppin’s 3-pointer with 46 seconds left sealed it.

Zion Williamson rumors, Willie Green’s status and draft targets: Pelicans mailbag | The Athletic

Yes, the Pelicans were very intentional with their decision to make Williamson the team’s on-stage representative at the NBA Draft Lottery a few weeks ago (and Williamson’s decision to be there was also intentional).

Yes, it’s very unlikely Williamson gets moved in a trade before the 2025-26 season starts. There’s already been communication between Williamson, his camp and Dumars on several occasions. All parties feel pretty good about where things stand with the Pelicans-Williamson marriage heading into next season.

Kevin Durant and the Spurs had ‘mutual interest’ at the trade deadline per ESPN’s Shams Charania

In case you missed it at Golden State of Mind:

for Steve Kerr, Jimmy Butler changed everything

“Mike [Dunleavy] calls me and he goes ‘I think we’re just going to trade for Jimmy Butler, I’m going to vouch for him, I played with him for three years in Chicago. Guy is a gamer, hell of a player. I think it’s going to work.’ I said, ‘great, let’s do it.’ But more than anything, we needed a change.”

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