OAKLAND –- With momentum and sentiment building behind the Warriors’ desire to get 73 wins and set an NBA record, even at the expense of pre-playoffs rest, coach Steve Kerr has a predicament.
Does he try to find situations to give his players down time to ensure they’re fresh for the postseason?
Or does he dump the notion of rest and simply free the Warriors to chase the all-time single-season wins record?
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“This whole idea of setting a record does make things a little trickier,” Kerr said in his pregame news conference Wednesday.
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“It’s the players who are setting a record. It’s not the organization. Players are doing it, so they will absolutely have some say in matters down the stretch in terms of how we approach everything.”
With Draymond Green and Steph Curry leading the way, the Warriors are vocal and unified in their desire to make history. Golden State needs to win 10 of its final 12 games to surpass the all-time record of 72-10, set by the Chicago Bulls in 1995-96.
Golden State Warriors
“There will be conversations with the people involved,” Kerr said. “I’m not going to just take Steph or Draymond or Klay (Thompson), or all three, out of the lineup without approaching them. What they’re doing is really significant. It’s special. And they should have some say in the matter. So we’ll see what happens.”
The coach has consistently stated that getting the No. 1 seed is the top priority. The Warriors are well positioned for that, entering Wednesday night four games ahead of San Antonio. Any combination of nine Warriors wins or Spurs losses would clinch the top seed for the defending champs.
“I’m more interested in securing the 1-seed and seeing how things go, but not with any risk of hurting anybody,” Kerr said. “Could a couple of our guys use a little mental rest and take a night off? Probably. But I wouldn’t do that at the expense of losing games and possibly losing the 1-seed.”
The decision could conceivably come down the final few games. Asked if he would rest guys if the Warriors lock down the No. 1 seed before the final two games, Kerr grinned and played it coy.
“We’ll find out,” he said.