The Golden State Warriors are on pace for 75 wins this season — it would be the best record in NBA history. But getting past the Bulls 72-win record is not going to be that simple, in part because the Warriors’ schedule is getting much tougher — they face Oklahoma City three times in their next 12 games. And that stretch includes a seven-game road trip. Throw in the fact the Warriors will end up resting some players down the stretch to make sure they are healthy for the playoffs and eclipsing the Bulls is still a daunting task.
But the Warriors are aware of the number — not that the media and our constant questions will let them forget — and they may make a push for it at the end if it is in reach. That’s what Stephen Curry told Brett Pollakoff of Fox Sports in a recent interview.We talk about it because we’re asked about it, mostly. We’re not afraid to address it and understand the opportunity we have, obviously with the 24-0 start. We’re on pace for it, or actually I think we’re one game ahead of that pace.
So we know where we are, but it’s really hard to fast-forward to April and really kind of get your mind to where, we’re 28 games from tying the record. It just makes it sink in how hard and how special that accomplishment was for the Bulls. We’re obviously worried about what happens in the playoffs, and being healthy and full-strength playing our best come April 16 or whenever our last game is.
But if we have an opportunity to go for it, we’ll go for it. Because how many chances are you going to get to be a team that passes that record, and obviously everybody’s still talking about the 95-96 Bulls — one, because of their record, and two, because they finished it off with a championship. We want to be able to do both, too.
This follows the company line the Warriors have stuck with since they started 24-0 — we’d love to get the record, but not at the expense of a championship, and we’re just taking things day-by-day. Not that they don’t mean it, but I think there is more of a drive to grab this record than they let on — the Warriors are in legacy-building mode, which means they need multiple rings but also they could use a record like this along the way.
My sense has been that if the Warriors get to mid-march, with about a month to go in the season, and that record is still well within reach, they will make a push for it. They want it to happen. But if there are enough stumbles in the next six weeks to make chasing that record a potential detriment to getting another ring, they will just move on and focus on the big picture.
