The Golden State Warriors could be in for a huge moral boost come Game 2 of the NBA Finals.
After thwarting the Cleveland Cavaliers 113-91 in Game 1, thanks in large part to an All-Star performance from star forward Kevin Durant, the Golden State Warriors could be well on their way to becoming NBA Champions once again. The Warriors have been dominating the NBA playoffs without head coach Steve Kerr on the sidelines, for the most part, as he has been nursing a lingering back injury which stems from a surgery he underwent back in 2015.
That surgery, in particular, caused Kerr to miss out on a whopping 43 games from the Warriors' 2015-2016 schedule. His absence, however, hasn't hindered the Warriors performance on the court, as they've gone undefeated in NBA Playoffs play so far.
Per a report from Ramona Shelburne and Chris Haynes of ESPN.com, there is a strong possibility Kerr could return to coach for Game 2 of the Finals tomorrow night (quotes via Yahoo Sports):
"If Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr feels well over the next few days without any setbacks, there remains some optimism he could coach Sunday in Game 2 of the NBA Finals against the Cleveland Cavaliers, sources told ESPN.
“He may coach Sunday. He’s feeling better,” a source close to Kerr told ESPN’s Marc Spears.
"Kerr had been feeling well enough earlier this week to be hopeful that he would be able to coach in Game 1 on Thursday, but according to team sources, after he had a bad day Wednesday, he decided it was best for acting head coach Mike Brown to continue leading the team."
Kerr recently revealed to the Bay Area News Group that the pain in his back has been bothering him for almost two years already:
“It’s a pain thing and the repercussions of pain,” Kerr said. “I’ve been dealing with it for almost two years. I’ve been able to deal with it for the most part.
"It’s not a cognitive thing. It’s not even really an energy thing. It’s a pain thing. And the threshold is really important – what’s the threshold?”
If Kerr is able to return to the sidelines for the Warriors it will be a huge confidence boost for the Dubs, which spells trouble for the Cavs after struggling to contain Durant and Golden State's high-powered offense in Game 1.
What some consider to be the greatest basketball player of all time in Lebron James still stands on the court with Cleveland, however, and has experience bringing back his hometown team from down under to win the NBA's ultimate prize.
What are your thoughts on the possibility of Kerr returning to coaching action? Let us know in the comments below!