The Golden State Warriors are a mere four wins away from reaching 73 wins, a number that has never been matched in the history of the NBA. With only five games remaining in their regular season schedule, the question of whether to actively aim for the record or not is one that has been asked many times.
According to head coach Steve Kerr, however, the Warriors are not pursuing 73 wins as much as some may believe. Kerr told Sam Amick of USA Today Sports that the team will continue to fight for wins while also resting some players for the playoffs:
“We’re not really pushing for this,” Kerr, whose Warriors (69-8) must win four of their final five games to best the 72-10 mark set by the 1995-96 Chicago Bulls squad on which he played a pivotal part, told USA TODAY Sports after practice Monday. “All we’ve said is, ‘Yeah, it’d be nice to get. We’d like to get it.’
“But if I were pushing for it, I probably wouldn’t be resting (backup point guard) Shaun Livingston and (center Andrew) Bogut, and I’d be playing our starters more. We’re just playing it out. I don’t understand if people are going to say that we’re pushing for this. I don’t think that’s the right word to use. We’d like to get it, but we’re still resting people and trying to get us set up for the playoffs.”
Kerr, who was a member of the 1995-96 Bulls who currently hold the single-season wins record, is correct in this line of thought. Being this close to the record means they should try to get it as it is a once in a lifetime opportunity.
However, the ultimate goal is still to win a championship and the path to do so becomes much easier if the team is fully healthy and functional. Kerr has managed this fairly well, giving injured players ample time to return to the court and resting others. One can argue he could have done more, but the team is mostly healthy and the record is there for the taking.
