The Warriors had a season for the ages last year, breaking the Bulls’ record for regular season wins. The addition of Kevin Durant should actually make them better, but don’t expect 73 wins again.
This team doesn’t have to prove itself to anyone. The core of the team left from last season — comprised of Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Draymond Green and Andre Iguodala — they already have the record and they know the toll it took on the team. Whether some of the injuries or overall mental fatigue in The Finals was caused by the seemingly endless regular season run, only the players know for sure, but odds are it didn’t help. Steve Kerr has said every year that the goal at the start of the season is to be the overall one seed, but don’t expect more than that. Much like the start of last season, with the Warriors coming of of their championship run, they will be the hunted team. Every night. They are going to get their opponent’s best effort and the road crowds will see them as the heels of the NBA and will show up in force as they hope they can be the squad that can derail this uber-talented Warriors team.
Let’s not forget, the Spurs did push them a bit down the stretch so the W’s did have to play their starters to maintain their overall lead, but this seemed to be clearly the players’ choice to go after the record. They were the driving force behind it and they wanted that record and Kerr and the front office resigned themselves to that fact. Knowing all of this, Kerr has already alluded to the fact that he will get more rest for some of the players. Whether that means full nights off for their stars is another story. The team took a lot of heat for sitting some of their players, but with so many stars now it’s an easier sell to the fans. Kerr does come from the Gregg Popovich camp of rest your players on back-to-backs, three games in four nights and on cross country trips. The Warriors don’t have nearly the depth they had the last two years so the stars are going to need their time off.
Perhaps after last year’s abrupt end to their repeat attempt, the players that were reluctant to rest will be more open minded and more singularly focused on their number one goal getting back and winning another ring.
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