Golden State Warriors Made The Right Decision Going For 73 Wins

In the wake of their Finals collapse, the journey of the Golden State Warriors has been called in to question. But to do so is simply silly.

The dust has settled and the Cleveland Cavaliers are NBA champions.

The war of attrition known as the NBA playoffs had taken it’s toll on the Golden State Warriors this season as injuries to Stephen Curry, Andrew Bogut and Andre Iguodala no doubt had some impact on the final result of the championship.

Injuries happen to every team, and the Warriors are certainly no stranger to being on the other side of that equation. They still had a very strong chance at walking away as NBA champions and they let it slip through their fingers.

But with that opportunity gone, some have called into question whether or not the Warriors chasing the NBA record for regular season wins was prudent.

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Reasoning that if the team rested and put and emphasis on staying healthy, maybe Iguodala’s back wouldn’t have bothered him so much. Or that Curry and Bogut may not have been as susceptible to injuries.

This line of thinking is flawed. No amount of rest would have prevented the puddle of sweat that Donatas Motiejunas left on the floor when he fell that Curry slipped on. Resting Bogut wouldn’t have prevented J.R. Smith from tumbling into the knee of Bogut after a mid-air collision.

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Nothing is guaranteed in the NBA, and even though the word is something that players and fans refuse to embrace, luck does play a role in the final outcome of the season.

What the Warriors had was an opportunity to do something historic. Absolutely nothing is guaranteed in life, or in the NBA. As horrid of a reality as it is, a season ending injury or worse can happen at any point in any game.

It can happen to the well rested reserve only playing 12 minutes a night, or the high mileage superstar.

When you have the opportunity to do something that has never been done before, you must do everything within your power to try and make that a reality. While they didn’t come away with the title, it’s nearly impossible to deny that the Warriors were the best team in the regular season.

The way they played, the electricity that was in the air as the ball would swing around the perimeter, the imaginations of fans all around the league that they captured can never be taken away from them.

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While their pursuit for 73 may have had some impact on their ability to win the championship, the margins were so slight and they were a play or two away from nobody questioning their pursuit and basketball immortality.

The same injuries, the same outcome were possible without going for the regular season record.

In all likelihood this team will have the chance to compete for a championship for many years to come, but you only get one shot at history and the record they set is likely going to go down as one of the most unbreakable records in all of sports.

Nothing is promised. But when history stares you in the face and records are within your reach, the correct course of action is to do everything in your power to seize it.

Today’s culture comes with this all-or-nothing mentality, but winning a title is simply the culmination of an incredible journey. Nobody can take that journey away from the Warriors and their fans.

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As the sting becomes more dull with time, the fond memories of that journey will only become clearer and clearer.