With wins over the Toronto Raptors and Dallas Mavericks last week, the Golden State Warriors finished the 2016 calendar year with a 72-12 record in regular-season games. That is the exact same mark as they had in 2015, and coach Steve Kerr would like to remind everyone not to be spoiled by this success.

"There's kind of an expectation for us to win from our players and everybody," Kerr said, via the San Jose Mercury News' Anthony Slater. "There's a danger there in the expectation. Not so much anything other than it can take the life out of it, the joy out of it. I want to make sure our players are still out there having fun and our fans aren't taking anything for granted. We've been so lucky the last few years to have the talent that we do, have so much success. Right now, it just feels like, oh, it's just supposed to happen, so it's going to happen. But you have to enjoy it while it lasts because it doesn't last forever."

In other words, winning can be less fun when you always have a talent advantage. That's one of the inherent challenges in being the favorite every night, and Kerr knows all about this. The only team to have a better calendar-year record than the Warriors in 2015 and 2016? The Chicago Bulls in 1996, who went 74-11. Kerr came off the bench in every single one of those games.

If you're a Golden State fan, or even just a fan of the game in general, Kerr's wise words are a nice reminder to appreciate what's happening here. The Warriors' collection of superstars doesn't guarantee them more titles, but they do give them a chance to become one of the best teams in NBA history. This doesn't happen often, and that's why it's worth following them closely, even heading into a week where a four-game sweep wouldn't really impress anybody.

Stephen Curry and Kevin Durant in Cleveland
Not a bad pick-and-roll tandem. USATSI

WARRIORS CHECK-IN

Record: 29-5

Scoring leader: Kevin Durant (25.9)

Assists leader: Draymond Green (7.3)

Rebounding leader: Kevin Durant (8.9)

Last week: Defeated Raptors, Mavericks (2-0)

GAMES THIS WEEK

Monday, 10:30 p.m. ET: Denver Nuggets

Where: Oracle Arena in Oakland, California

TV: NBA League Pass

Streaming: NBA League Pass

Wednesday, 10:30 p.m. ET: Portland Trail Blazers

Where: Oracle Arena in Oakland, California

TV: ESPN

Streaming: WatchESPN

Friday, 10:30 p.m. ET: Memphis Grizzlies

Where: Oracle Arena in Oakland, California

TV: ESPN

Streaming: WatchESPN

Sunday, 9 p.m. ET: Sacramento Kings

Where: Golden 1 Center in Sacramento, California

TV: NBA League Pass

Streaming: NBA League Pass

KEEP AN EYE ON ...

The complexity of the offense

Last Wednesday, Stephen Curry said that he'd like to run more pick-and-rolls. He was talking specifically about the offense falling apart against the Cleveland Cavaliers on Christmas Day, but this particular idea wasn't a novel one. Kerr's system is designed to keep all five players involved, but sometimes, when Golden State needs a bucket, it feels like he could put the off-ball movement aside and just let Curry run pick-and-rolls with Kevin Durant or Draymond Green. To wit:

Durant backed up what Curry said last Friday, and you have to wonder why the two of them don't run pick-and-roll together more often. In theory, this should be the most deadly play in the NBA, and CBS Sports' Matt Moore suggested that Kerr is saving this for the playoffs.

Durant doing it all

Green is the only Warrior in the running for Defensive Player of the Year, but Durant might have a case to be on the All-Defense team, too. More than was ever the case in OKC, his team needs him to play like a big man, and he's quietly embracing that role. Durant had five blocks against the Raptors, including a huge one in crunch time, and he's grabbed 43 rebounds in his last three games.

Durant doesn't want to be known as just a scorer. When Golden State executive Jerry West called him during free agency, this was one of the topics of conversation. West knew that, on this team, Durant's all-around contributions would be more visible than ever. He's had a bunch of Green-like stat lines this season, and he recorded his first triple-double as a Warrior against the Mavericks.

Fourth-quarter issues?

Something to think about:

Much of this has to do with Golden State building big leads and resting its starters in the fourth quarter. It's worth noting, though, that the Warriors have been significantly worse in the final frame even with stars on the court:

Net rating (overall) Net rating (fourth quarter only)
Stephen Curry +15.6 +1.7
Kevin Durant +14.1 +4.9
Draymond Green +14.6 +2.0
Klay Thompson +15.8 +1.8

I'm not ready to call this a real problem, but I'll keep it in mind, especially if Golden State finds itself in some close games this week.

BIGGEST ONE-ON-ONE MATCHUP

DeMarcus Cousins vs. Green. Obviously, the Warriors will start with Zaza Pachulia on Cousins, but I'm more interested in what happens when they go small. Cousins is the type of player that the Charles Barkleys of the world think the Warriors can't handle, but Green never ducks from a challenge like this.