Draymond: Warriors 'ready' to continue playoff run without Kerr
"Next man up" doesn't just apply to players in Golden State.
The Warriors are operating under the notion that head coach Steve Kerr will not return this season, as he's dealing with complications from his back surgeries in 2015.
"The way we look at it is plan on him not coming back," Draymond Green told reporters Monday, as quoted by The Mercury News' Anthony Slater. "That's the way we're approaching this thing. We're not going to sit here and say if we can get to the Conference Finals, Steve may be back for the Conference Finals or if we get to the Finals … Nah."
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Mike Brown, an assistant coach who has NBA Finals experience from his time with the Cleveland Cavaliers, has been manning the sidelines in Kerr's stead. After coaching the squad to first-round victories in Games 3 and 4 versus the Portland Trail Blazers, Brown is set to continue in the role for Tuesday's Game 1 of the West semifinals against the Utah Jazz.
"Mike Brown is our coach, we have the rest of our staff and that's what we're rolling with," Green continued. "We're going to hope and pray that Steve gets better and can get back, but at the end of the day, his health is more important than anything. We're here in support of him. We know how bad he wants to be here and we'd love for him to be here. But he has to take care of what he has to take care of - whether that's this year or next year he's back, we're ready."
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Green added it doesn't do the team any good to worry about a potential return for Kerr, who remains involved with the club.
"I think it's a lot easier to adjust to, oh, Steve's back on the bench as opposed to play with your mental and wonder 'Is Steve coming back? When is Steve coming back?'" the All-Star foward said. "It's too much. Just focus on what we have here. It's like a player going down. One guy goes down, other guy has to step up. That's what you do, adjust to that other guy who gets added to the lineup and play."