By Myles Jackson ’17, Contributor
After a 112-101 win at Oracle Arena over the San Antonio Spurs, Golden State’s coach Steve Kerr has a tough decision to make. The Thursday night win clinched the number 1 seed in the Western Conference for the Warriors, leaving the Spurs with the number 2 seed. This being their 70th win, the Warriors are only three games away from exceeding the record of 72 wins in the regular season, set by Michael Jordan’s 95-96 bulls. The dilemma is that the Warriors only have three games left in the regular season, and Steve Kerr must decide whether to rest his players for the post season or chase history. The San Antonio Spurs also have a similar problem, they could be the first team to go undefeated at home ever. However, Gregg Popovich is keener in disregarding the record and resting for the championship. The Warriors similar hopes of being undefeated at home were thwarted by the Boston Celtics in a 106-109 loss on April, 1.
Kerr is relying heavily upon the mindset of his players, and he will make the decision based on how they feel as a whole. Many of the players, according to forward Draymond Green, are shooting for the record over any games off. From their perspective they have worked this hard for so long, it is worth the extra energy. He told his players if they need rest to take it, but why not go for it.“’Hey, if you need the rest, take the rest, and if you don’t, we going after it,'” said Kerr.
It’s clear the leaders of the team are adamant about making history. Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, and Draymond Green are opting for the record. In order to go 73-9, the Warriors must beat the Memphis Grizzlies twice and the San Antonio Spurs once more. Because the Spurs are likely to rest the majority of their players and the Warriors should most likely be able to defeat the Grizzlies, the best team in the NBA has a great shot at history. However, nothing is set in stone. Fatigue is a prominent factor, and it is arguably being the reason why the Warriors lost some of their games. In addition, there would be a significant amount of scrutiny from fans and analysts around the country if a player did get injured. In the long run, a back-to-back championship is the goal. Although making history would be ideal, it is not the same as being the champions of the world. And the Warriors have the best shot of any team at winning the title. The only major threat posed to them is the San Antonio Spurs, although the Warriors have easily handled them before. With the reigning MVP in Stephen Curry, a man who can drop 37 points in one quarter in Klay Thompson, and the player with the second most triple doubles in the league in Draymond Green, count in Draymond Green, the Warriors have the best chance at winning the title and breaking a record set almost 20 years ago.
Sources:
http://www.stack.com/a/the-golden-state-warriors-have-a-secret-weapon-floating-in-salt-water
