"Like any big decision that gets made in our team, we're a really tight team and everyone's got to buy into it. We'll just sit down as a group and weigh up the odds as to who we think will be the best learning opportunity for ourselves, but also give us the best chance of progressing through."
While TNZ were clinching their superiority today, Artemis Racing (Sweden) showed that they are perhaps the most dangerous option at this point in the regatta and probably an outfit to be avoided at all costs.
The Kiwis were somewhat fortune to get past the Swedes in their first meeting on Tuesday, when they got the benefit of an umpire's blunder to sneak past on the final leg.
The following day, they again needed a favourable protest to come from behind for victory against the same opponents, so there has been an element of opportunism in both those results, although the second was also great sailing.
Sweden have defeated America's Cup holders USA and close allies Team Japan twice each - including once each today - showing they are more than capable of toppling the best on their day.
But they have also lost to Team France, who were eliminated from the regatta today, and twice to Ben Ainslie Racing (GBR), who badly damaged their boat on day one, so they can also lose to the lesser lights.
Skipper Nathan Outteridge took advantage of Thursday's wind postponement and yesterday's scheduled bye to raise his team's performance to another level.
"Today was very important for our team," he said today. "It's been a pretty tough racing period so far for us and today showed what the team is really made of.
"We had two days off, and were able to make a few tweaks on the boat and made some good improvements in performance and the way the guys sailed the boat, so I was really pleased with that.
"We know we've got a long way to go and a bit more to go. All in all, it was a good boost to the team, nice to get the points and know we're moving through."
Currently, the defenders are ranked Team NZ, BAR, Sweden and Japan on the points table, but BAR's lofty position is due mainly to the two bonus points they carried for winning the America's Cup World Series.
BAR were idle today, while Japan lost twice, but only after skipper Dean Barker uncharacteristically lost both starts.
The Japanese haven't unduly troubled Team NZ so far, but - heaven forbid - if you're going to get knocked out of a regatta, probably better if it's not by the guy you didn't want as your skipper.
Perhaps a bigger call for Burling and his crew would be do you pick your toughest opponents first, before they get even better? In that case, maybe Sweden is the smarter option.
But NZME America's Cup expert and former Team NZ weather guru Mark Orams warns against over-thinking that approach.
"This is definitely one of those full-team decisions for them to make and the losers go home, so I wouldn't roll the dice on [Artemis]," he says.
Right now, Orams ranks Team NZ, Sweden, Japan and BAR in that order, regardless of their positions on the table.
"If it was me, I'd pick BAR for the playoffs," he says. "I just think, at the moment, they are struggling.
"They are competitive in only a very narrow range of wind and in the breezy stuff, they struggle, while Artemis and Japan are better all-round performers."
Team New Zealand will announce their decision at the post-race press conference tomorrow.
