They’re locked into the No. 2 seed. They want to get healthy and find rhythm and figure out how to best utilize the supporting cast around All-Stars Kevin Durant, Draymond Green and Klay Thompson.
That’s about it for the Warriors. A string of games rendered insignificant on the win/loss scale leaves them playing without stakes.
Except there are stakes.
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Several Warriors have spoken about the desire to stamp themselves as one of the all-time great NBA teams. Thompson spoke in specifics last September when describing what would continue to drive the Warriors.
“Probably the potential dynasty factor, leaving a legacy like the Showtime Lakers of the ‘80s or that (Larry Bird-led) Celtics team or those Bulls teams of the 90s or the three-peat Lakers team,” Thompson said. “We just want to be known as one of the greatest teams of our era. And I think we have the ingredients to do it. We’ve just got to go out there and take it. That’s what drives us.”
There are the stakes. These last five games are significant in a historical context.
No NBA team has won at least 60 games in five consecutive seasons. Only one franchise, the Lakers, can boast of having four in a row, beginning with 1984-85.
Golden State Warriors
The Warriors have three such seasons on their resume. They’d need to win four of the final five games to match those Lakers and also maintain the possibility of being the only team to reach five in a row. It’s within their reach.
Here are five factors that will influence whether extend the streak:
1) KEEP THE BIG THREE ON THE COURT: No ejections, no injuries and no rest. With Stephen Curry on the sideline, it’s imperative that Durant, Green and Thompson stay healthy and productive. Together for the last two games, they’re trending up. If any one of them has to miss a full game or most of one, the door to defeat swings open.
2) GLUE IN THE GAME: Andre Iguodala missed the last two games, and his absence is felt. The unit that starts the second and fourth quarters, often with him on the court, has given back some of leads built in the first and third quarters. He makes the game easier for the four teammates sharing the court with him. He could return as soon as Tuesday at Oklahoma City. That would be particularly timely.
3) A NICK YOUNG GAME. OR TWO: Nick Young has reached the 20-point mark twice in the last eight games, failing to reach double digits in four of those games. He shot 34.4 percent from the field, 32.7 percent from deep, during that stretch. He got more of minutes with Thompson and Curry out, and he’ll get chances now that Pat McCaw has joined Curry on the sideline. Young needs to do more with them. Can he?
4) GREEN D: Green is the hub of the defense, and when the Warriors are almost unbeatable when they lock in on that end. He missed five of the last 10 games with a variety of physical ailments. He’s back, he looks fresh and he understands his mission with Curry out. Yes, it would be nice if he drains triple now and then -- he dropped three on Sunday -- but when he’s baring his fangs, the Warriors follow.
5) THE COOK: Quinn Cook has been a godsend. Asking him to deliver in April as he did in March may be unfair. But if he does, winning four of five might not be as daunting as it seems on paper.
And daunting it is. Four of the five remaining opponents have playoff implications. Three of them -- the Thunder, the Pacers and the Jazz -- will be playing in their building.
The Warriors have done amazing work over the three previous seasons, including most wins in a regular season, best postseason record and best cumulative record over three seasons, and now four. There are others.
A chance to make another bit of history is at hand, and we know how this team loves to chase history.