Draymond Green doesn't believe the Warriors actually lost to the Spurs
This deep into an NBA season, it's incredible that any team can count its losses on two hands. Yet here the Golden State Warriors are. They stand 68-7, on pace to break the NBA record for most wins in a regular season.
That makes every loss memorable for the Warriors' players -- except, apparently, the time they lost to their biggest rival.
Golden State forward/sometimes-center Draymond Green recently appeared on Bay Area radio KNBR, where he stated that in his opinion, the Warriors only have three legitimate losses:
And truly, you can list Golden State's bad games pretty quickly:
12/12/15: Bucks 108, Warriors 95 -- As Green notes, Golden State had previously played a double-overtime slugfest against the Celtics. This loss ended their NBA record 24-game win streak to start the season.
12/30/15: Mavericks 114, Warriors 91 -- This one is simple enough; Stephen Curry didn't play.
1/13/16: Nuggets 112, Warriors 110 -- Green himself sat out of this one, and an uncharacteristic late turnover from Curry sealed a Denver win.
1/16/16: Pistons 113, Warriors 95 -- One of the legitimate losses, and one in which Golden State got destroyed despite 38 points from Curry.
2/19/16: Blazers 137, Warriors 105 -- Damian Lillard went thermonuclear, pouring in 51 points, while C.J. McCollum added 21 more.
3/6/16: Lakers 112, Warriors 95 -- Blame it on the L.A. nightlife.
But astute readers will note that's only six losses. Golden State has seven. And the San Antonio Spurs' March 16 victory is nowhere to be found on Green's list.
Of course, the Warriors were without Andrew Bogut and Andre Iguodala in their 87-79 road loss to the Spurs a couple weeks ago. They were forced to start Brandon Rush. That's pretty far from Golden State's optimal lineup, so we understand Green's point.
But that understanding cuts both ways. The Warriors face the Spurs twice more this season, and Gregg Popovich will likely rest several of his most important players in preparation for the playoffs. In fact, San Antonio might help pave the way for Golden State to break the 1995-96 Chicago Bulls' 72-win record. So ... would those games against the Spurs be less meaningful?
What makes the Warriors' pursuit of history so special is that they've come through time and again despite fatigue, injury, bad shooting nights, and everything else in their way. There's no need to downplay the losses that have happened. They're part of Golden State's incredible 2015-16 story.
