Lowell Cohn: Don't get all worked up over Warriors' chase for 73 wins

OAKLAND

OK, I’ll play the 73-Wins Anxiety Game. I’ll repeat to myself why the Warriors are in deep trouble because they can win an NBA-record 73 games this season.

There is so much hand-wringing among fans and media that the Warriors may overextend themselves going for the record. Oh, pity the poor Warriors.

It’s so tough being the best team in the league and trying to make history.

Like it’s a bad thing the Warriors can eclipse the 72 wins of the legendary 1995-1996 Michael Jordan Chicago Bulls. The Warriors need to go 8-2 in their final 10 games. Eminently doable, but no slam dunk - to use a hoops metaphor.

The other day, Steve Kerr played into the woe-is-me Warriors theme. “Everybody’s so fried,” he said. “Season’s so long.”

You expected to see two weightlifters carry lifeless, semi-conscious Stephen Curry out of the gym on a stretcher while they applied cool compresses to his fevered forehead.

“Were you this fried last season at this time?” I asked Kerr.

“I don’t remember. Probably. I think everybody’s fried. To me, everybody in the league is tired right now.”

“What do you do to get unfried?”

“Unfried,” Kerr repeated. “Great word. I’ll use that with the team tomorrow. I’ll write it on the board - ‘How to Get Unfried.’ I think you need a day off here and there. You need to fill up the cup. You need to be with your family, go play a round of golf. Whatever brings you joy, you need to do that away from the court.

“And then I think there’s a natural lull towards the end of the season. That’s the calm before the storm because, once you get into the playoffs, you get your edge back automatically. We’ll be fine. I’m not worried at all. This is the natural course of an NBA season. We’re feeling it right now and I think just about everybody’s feeling it.”

I’m saying right here Kerr owes me a nickel for “unfried” if he writes it on the board. If I hear Draymond Green say unfried, he owes me a nickel, too. Hey, are we seeing the Warriors going from the fire into the frying pan?

Here’s the crux of the 73-Wins Anxiety Game if you care to play.

The Warriors, in their giddy greed for the record, will get stupid, although they’ve never been stupid before. They will play Curry and Green and Klay Thompson and Andrew Bogut etc. too many minutes, will foolishly rush Andre Iguodala and Festus Ezeli back from injuries, rendering the entire team dead on arrival for the playoffs, where they will be run off the court, their tongues hanging out of their mouths, by some bunch that is relaxed and rested precisely because - lucky bums - they are hopelessly mediocre and didn’t have a record to go after.

In other words, success is a bad thing. Although, if you check the records, the 1995-1996 Bulls won the championship despite the crushing pressure of being great.

Oh, pity the poor Warriors who, as far as I can tell, are well-trained, professional athletes, are young men in the prime of their athletic lives and are up to this challenge.

Oh, yes, there’s one other thing. Steve Kerr is the coach.

In the short time you’ve observed him, have you ever seen Kerr do anything silly or reckless or stupid? Have you seen him take an irrational risk or put a player in harm’s way or grow greedy for a by-the-way prize like the 73, instead of focusing squarely on winning the championship?

Listen to Kerr on the 73-Wins Anxiety Game as he fielded questions from the media like a hockey goalie deflecting pucks at the net.

Is the 73 on the front burner?

“With the media, it’s on the front burner. For the team, we rarely talk about it. Get the 1-seed, that’s our main goal.”

Will the Warriors go for 73?

“If it’s a possibility, if there’s no risk of getting somebody injured, then yeah. Why not? It’s very significant (the record). With that said, it’s kind of dangerous to just focus on that. We know what our goal is - to win the championship. We want to go into the playoffs feeling good physically and mentally. However we’ll get to that point, we’ll do that.”

Do the Warriors feel pressure about the 73?

“I don’t think our players are feeling pressure for the record. I think they’d like to get it. I don’t think there will be tears shed if we don’t get it. I don’t think it will be devastating.”

Will the players play too many minutes going for 73?

“I think minutes are fine. We have a deep team. We play a lot of people.”

I’m not sure Kerr’s words will calm those of you addicted to the 73-Wins Anxiety Game.

Addicts are advocating surrender, as far as I can tell. I mean, what else is their nervousness about? Like the Warriors should reel it in, take the foot off the accelerator, coast into the playoffs nice and rested - and stale.

Is that a good way to prepare? I don’t think so. The Warriors need to push and push hard. Need to storm into the playoffs angry and ready. Need to play angry and ready right now, keep their edge - whatever an edge is.

I bet Kerr knows all about keeping an edge and putting things in perspective and going for the record if there’s no risk. Knows about getting a team ready to defend its championship.

So, just relax. And lay off the 73-Wins Anxiety Game. Bad for your health.

You can reach Staff Columnist Lowell Cohn at lowell.cohn@pressdemocrat.com.