Chasing 72: Can anything slow down the Warriors?

When looking into the record books, there are certain records that seem unreachable. Cal Ripken’s games in a row, Joe DiMaggio’s hit streak and Wilt Chamberlain’s 100 points in a game. Another seemingly unreachable record was when the 1995-96 Chicago Bulls won 72 games in a single season. But now the Golden State Warriors are on the verge of becoming the most dominant team in NBA history.

Currently, the Warriors are sitting at 60-6 with 14 games left to play. This happens to be one game better than the Bulls had during their record setting season.

This means that the Warriors have to go 10-4 in their remaining games. This seems difficult, but remember they’ve only lost SIX games. But this doesn’t mean it’s a foregone conclusion, there are still variables in the equation.

The biggest variable is health. We’ve already seen Steph Curry sidelined with an ankle injury, and currently Draymond Green is fighting through strep throat. Are either of these issues going to put their seasons in jeopardy? Absolutely not. But it certainly could put their record in jeopardy. Curry and Green mean so much to the Warriors that losing one for even a short period of time would be disastrous for the team. If the big three; Green, Curry and Klay can all stay healthy, they will be very hard to stop.

Another factor that could determine whether or not the record is reachable is the San Antonio Spurs. Though in their one meeting this season the Warriors embarrassed the Spurs, they still have three meeting remaining. If the Spurs decide to play their starters against the Warriors, it is conceivable that the Spurs (who haven’t lost at home) could take two out of the final three meetings.

The final, and most important, factor that will decide whether or not they can reach the record, is how bad they want it. The Warriors will have decisions to make on whether or not they will play the resting game before the playoffs come around in order to preserve their stars. If the Warriors decide they value rest over records, they may rest their stars against some of the easy games left on the schedule, which would crush their chances of being the most dominant team in NBA history.
–Michael Hersey