The Golden State Warriors are en route to having potentially the greatest season of all time. Much of that has been due to the play of superstar point guard and reigning MVP Steph Curry. The team has a real chance of surpassing the single-season wins record of 72 held by the 1995-96 Bulls.
While the record would be a nice cherry on top of a magical season by the Warriors, there is something to be said about the importance of rest and health in the playoffs. The ultimate goal is still to win a championship and the team has had some sluggish performances recently, including ones where Curry has not looked like his usual self, leading to some speculation that he may be fatigued or nursing some minor injuries.
Despite those concerns, however, Curry says that the Warriors have not approached him about sitting out any games, yet:
Stephen Curry said the Warriors haven't approached him about taking a rest game in the season's final weeks … yet.
— Rusty Simmons (@Rusty_SFChron) March 23, 2016
Clearly, the Warriors should and do value health as the playoffs near. However, there are two things standing in the way of letting the team rest their star more often. The first is the fact that the Warriors can indeed chase that record and while it may not matter much in the long-term, it is an honorable achievement that they should attempt to reach.
The second is that the San Antonio Spurs are also pretty good, sitting four games back of Golden State with the second seed. It is unlikely that they surpass the Dubs, but they are not mathematically eliminated from doing so, and that may be enough reason for the Warriors to keep their foot on the pedal.
Steph will likely sit out some games near the end of the season to make sure he is fresh for the playoffs, but for now, there is seemingly no plan to sit out the star.
