For Festus Ezeli, Always Being Hyped Is A Good Way To Always Be Ready, Starting Or Not

WARRIORS PRACTICE FACILITY, OAKLAND, CA — Starting a basketball game, let alone the 2016 Western Conference Finals and especially when you don’t normally start, has to be one of the most “hype” feelings in the game.

But what if you’re already hyped just being a part of it? Maybe you want to dial it down just a bit, just in case you do start, leave head some room to hit the ceiling, that sort of thing.

Golden State Warriors center Festus Ezeli might start tonight with Andrew Bogut listed as “questionable” after hurting his abductor in Game 5 against the Portland Trail Blazers.

Ezeli only started 13 games this past regular season and hasn’t started a playoff game since the Game 6 loss to the San Antonio Spurs back in 2013.

Known to post Snapchats of driving to Oracle before games with music on full blast, Ezeli told us yesterday after practice, “I’m hyped up regardless. I love this game. I love this team.”

That’s a good way of being ready, regardless: Just always be at peak “hype-ness”.

“He’s always done a good job of staying ready,” Kerr said at the Game 1 pregame press conference, referencing scouting reports, which are apparently available to players on iPads, and Ezeli’s contributions that led to a Game 2 victory against the Blazers, after not having played up til then.

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(Photo: @letsgowarriors Instagram account via @nbcsports)