Harrison Barnes had been doing well before injuring his ankle against the Phoenix Suns and the latest word around is that the Golden State Warriors hotshot will be out for "at least" the next three games.

But from the looks of it, it may take longer than that to ensure that Barnes' ankles heal properly. The Warriors don't plan to rush him back to action since it doesn't really make sense in the first place.

Despite falling to that injury, the Warriors are still on course. They are still perfect so far this season and his absence has opened doors for other players to step up.

Brandon Rush has stepped in wonderfully, not to mention NBA veteran Andre Iguodala who has been filling in as well while Barnes recuperates.

At this point, another thing to consider is that the Warriors don't really need to risk Barnes. The main goal for the season goes beyond the winning streak the Warriors are suddenly going for and that is to, of course, score back-to-back NBA titles.

At this point, a streak seems to be within reach but all that will end up futile if the Warriors are not able to defend their NBA plum. They just notched their 19th win for the season with no losses to show but the season is still a long way off.

A heartbreaking scenario would see the Dubs finish with an NBA best record for the regular season but all that won't matter once the NBA playoffs kick off. All teams will start from scratch and the only consolation the Warriors get is that they enjoyed home court advantage throughout.

And how many times NBA fans saw teams dominate in the past, only to fall as early as the first round?

Hence, keeping Barnes back for the more important wars ahead is a wise move. In fact, don't be surprised if Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, or Draymond Green get to sit out at some point to preserve them for the tougher games in the post season.