Why Golden State will break Chicago’s record and what it means

MANILA, Philippines – The Golden State Warriors are 67-7 with 8 games to go in their NBA schedule as of this article’s publication. If the team wins at least 6 of its remaining matches, they will break the league’s mark set by the 1995-1996 Chicago Bulls (72-10) for the best regular season record in history, giving the franchise a memento that may take a very long time, if not never, to be taken down.

Before going into whether or not the Dubs can go at least 6-2 over the next two weeks, I think everyone should take a moment to embrace the absurdity of what the team has accomplished. As hard as it is to believe, they’re even better this year after going 67-15 and winning the NBA championship last year – a feat already considered one of the most impressive in NBA history. 

Steph Curry is now arguably the best player in the NBA. His supporting cast is second to none, bolstered by another historically-good shooter in Klay Thompson, an all-around dynamo and triple-double machine in Draymond Green, and many more complementary tools.

So will the team Steve Kerr coaches in 2016 outdo the record set by the team he played for and was led by Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen 20 years ago? Let’s take a look. 

The most important question to ask is, what does Golden State’s remaining schedule look like?

(In Philippine time)

Thursday, March 31: at Utah (37-37)

Saturday, April 1: vs. Boston (43-31)

Monday, April 4: vs. Portland (39-36)

Wednesday, April 5: vs. Minnesota (25-49)

Friday, April 7: vs. San Antonio (62-12)

Sunday, April 10: at Memphis (41-33)

Monday, April 11: at San Antonio (62-12)

Thursday, April 14: vs Memphis (41-33)

An important factor that stands out in those remaining games is that 5 of 8 will be played at Golden State’s homecourt Oracle Arena, where the Warriors are 36-0 this season and have won 54 consecutive regular season games dating back to last season. The last team they lost to on their own floor were the Chicago Bulls, and they needed overtime to steal the win with a Derrick Rose game-winner.

Of the 5 teams visiting the Bay Area soon, the Spurs obviously present the biggest challenge. Here’s the caveat: it’s likely the Warriors will face San Antonio’s bench rather than their main core.

With 5 games separating Golden State from San Antonio in the loss column as the top two seeds in the West, and the Spurs owning an 11-game lead in the loss column over number 3 OKC with 8 games remaining, Tim Duncan and company are basically a lock for the number two seed going into the playoffs. 

That means the Spurs, quite essentially, have nothing else to play for for the rest of the way unless they’re interested in preserving their undefeated record at home, which is currently 37-0. Gregg Popovich sat Duncan, Tony Parker, Manu Ginobili, Kawhi Leonard, and LaMarcus Aldridge on the road against Oklahoma City this past weekend to keep them fresh for the playoffs. I’m assuming he’s going to do the same on April 7 in Oakland.

The other 4 upcoming home opponents for the Warriors aren’t exactly frightening. Portland defeated the Dubs at home after the All-Star break, but that was an anomaly with Damian Lillard going off for 51 points. The Trail Blazers’ defense isn’t good enough to take down the defending champions a second time this season, especially on their home court. 

Memphis has been decimated with injuries, from Marc Gasol to Zach Randolph to Mike Conley. Boston may be challenging, but it was recently ran off the court by the Clippers as Jae Crowder continues to heal an ankle injury. The Timberwolves played the Warriors close when Curry and his teammates visited last week, but there’s a reason why they’re 24 games below .500, and they aren’t good enough yet to get a win at Oracle. 

So, how about the remaining road games of Golden State? Are there potential losses there?

The Dubs are 3-0 against Utah this season, but in the lone game played at Utah back on November 30, the Jazz actually kept within striking distance of the defending champions before eventually falling 106-103. Utah is currently 37-37 and in a tight race for the last 3 seeds in the Western Conference playoff race. They’re clearly going to be the more desperate team, which could spell danger for Golden State. Moreover, the Warriors are going to be on the second night of a back-to-back when they visit Salt Lake City.

How about the Memphis game on April 10? If Conley and Randolph are in action, maybe. But in the two games both teams have played this season, Golden State won 119-69 and 100-84. That’s not exactly morale-boosting for Grizzlies fans.

So, maybe that game in San Antonio on April 11? As I mentioned, the Spurs may aim to be the first team ever (like Golden State will be if it sweeps the remaining 5 games it has at home) to go 41-0 at home in a regular season. Popovich might play his key guys there, and they already defeated the Warriors in San Antonio, 87-79, back on March 19, so they’ll be unintimidated by the allure of the reigning champs.

My prediction? The Dubs lose in Utah and in San Antonio, but win the rest of their games. That means Golden State finishes 73-9 and achieves what no one else ever has before.

Here’s a good question to ask, since it could rattle Golden State’s chase for history: will the Warriors consider resting key guys since homecourt throughout the postseason is already basically assured? 

Probably not. Such are the risks taken when chasing history. And by the sound of things, that looks like the plan.

“Now we’re right there. That’s pretty enticing,” Kerr said last week, per Tim Kawakami of the Bay Area News Group. “It’s really the players’ record. I know they want to get it. So we’ll act accordingly.

“Yeah, this whole idea of setting a record does make things a little trickier. It’s the players who are setting a record. It’s not the organization. It’s the players who are doing it.”

For his part, Curry, the reigning NBA MVP and a favorite to repeat, sounds like a guy who wants to play every regular season game.

“Whatever it takes to motivate us at this point, whether it’s just continue what we’ve been doing, searching for that 73, [number] one seed, whatever it is.”

He added: “Sitting out and watching is just boring. I don’t like watching games if you have the opportunity to play in them.”

To sum it up: they sound like a team ready to shatter Chicago’s record.

What it means

The National Basketball Association has turned into a global phenomenon. You can make a case for it being the most popular sports league in the world, and the Warriors are clearly the darlings of the NBA right now.

That’s why whether you’re a fan of the team, a casual NBA spectator, or even a Golden State hater, you have to appreciate what they’re doing. As someone who grew up during the 2000s era of the league, one of my biggest regrets was not watching Jordan, Pippen, and the Bulls in their prime, which included the devastation they put opponents through 20 years ago on a nightly basis. The way today’s older basketball fans talk about yesterday’s Bulls is how I and many others of today’s generation will boast about the the present Warriors tomorrow.

Think about how crazy it is that, in the 69 years of the NBA’s tenure, we’re witnessing what will likely be the greatest regular season team ever. Bird’s Celtics never accomplished this. Neither did the Lakers teams of Magic and Kareem or Kobe and Shaq. LeBron and Wade’s Miami Heat teams didn’t even come close. This is quite literally history in the making.

Back on March 24, SportsLine projected the Dubs to have a 72.5% chance of winning at least 73 games. That’s surely gone up since. It’s also important to note Golden State hasn’t been lucky with injuries. Sure, Curry or Thompson or Green haven’t missed extended time, but other key pieces like Andrew Bogut, Festus Ezeli, and Andre Iguodala have. 

The Warriors are also succeeding while revolutionizing the game. Their best line-up – consisting of Green, Iguodala, Barnes, Curry and Thompson – feature a player (Green) who’s 6-foot-7 playing the center spot. Golden State is the epitome of how much the game has become perimeter, smallball-oriented today.

And they’re doing that while taking winning in the NBA to new heights. – Rappler.com