PART I: THE MAKING OF A DYNASTY PART II: THE TEAM
The Warriors have separated themselves from today’s NBA in a manner seldom seen in the league’s long history. People no longer compare them to the rest of the league, instead choosing the history books for more interesting parallels, and on the eve of the 2017-18 season, there’s a dynamic connection at hand.
Only four teams have reached four consecutive NBA Finals: LeBron James’ Miami Heat (2011-14), Larry Bird’s Boston Celtics (198487), Magic Johnson’s Los Angeles Lakers (1982-85) and Bill Russell’s Boston Celtics, who competed in 10 straight (1957-66) and won nine of them. The Warriors are on the verge of joining the four Finals club, but the notion carries deeper meaning. Namely, who’s going to stop them from winning championships over the next few seasons?
Opposing teams can only shake their heads — and have been doing so, with great vigor — over the Warriors’ master plan. Stephen Curry is signed up for five more seasons, Draymond Green for three, Klay Thompson for two, Andre Iguodala for three. Kevin Durant has opt-out options at his disposal, but there’s little doubt he’ll wear a Golden State uniform as long as there are championships to be won. He has seen the other side, and he loves the Bay Area — for now and for post-career business opportunities.
It’s a core of unusually wellrounded, fiercely motivated talent, the envy of every executive in the league, with an important distinction: The Warriors seem stronger than ever, and unlike any of the above-mentioned teams — including James’ current Cleveland Cavaliers, also shooting for a fourth consecutive Finals appearance — they aren’t identified with any one player. You could call them Curry’s Warriors, or Durant’s Warriors, or to venture into the esoteric, call them Green’s Warriors — such is the pervasive influence of the team’s do-everything forward.
With last year’s team returning virtually intact, right down to the center alignment of Zaza Pachulia, David West and JaVale McGee, the Warriors are as set for the future as any NBA powerhouse in memory. Only those Celtics of the 1960s come close, winning all those titles learned last year when Durant missed 20 games and the team (particularly Curry) didn’t miss a beat.
The Warriors have drawn the label of villains in some quarters, but certainly not among seasoned fans who appreciate authentic teamwork and fundamentals. Curry and Thompson lifted them to unprecedented heights in threepoint marksmanship, yet they embrace mid-range shooting and the occasional post-up. Whereas most teams inevitably default to isolation sets in a crisis, the Warriors thrive on constant ball movement and aggressive, relentless screens, all about finding the open man.
Just as it’s impossible for teams to match the three-headed shooting brilliance of Curry, Durant and Thompson, they find it equally maddening on the defensive end. The Warriors’ roster is full of two-way players, and if you scan the list of elite NBA stars, very few excel at both ends. That’s how the Warriors get the edge on teams, then run them right off the floor.
Houston Rockets general manager Daryl Morey is among those desperate to catch up, and he did a nice job acquiring Chris Paul from the Clippers. But he’s not going anywhere near a prediction.
“The difficult thing right now is that the Warriors are a historically great team,” Morey told ESPN. “We do feel we closed the gap this summer, but we have to take risks. It’s going to be extraordinarily difficult. I think now we’re in a situation where we have a good chance to be the second-best team.”
Well said, Mr. Morey. That’s the state of today’s NBA — and a true blessing for fans of the Golden State Warriors. With last year’s team returning virtually intact, the Warriors are as set for the future as any NBA powerhouse in memory. with essentially the same cast and building harmony as they went. Some might argue that Magic or Bird anchored teams even more talented than the Warriors, but those Lakers and Celtics were constantly at odds, trading championships and enduring and rebounding from crushing defeats.
Even the most cynical observers have concluded that the only thing stopping the Warriors, this year or in the immediate future, is the unforeseen.
Debilitating injuries are a part of life in the NBA, and the Warriors well understand, particularly Curry, Durant and Shaun Livingston. It would take quite a catastrophe, though, to derail this team — as we
Stephen Curry (left) is congratulated by Shaun Livingston, Kevin Durant and Draymond Green after a basket in the final minute of the Warriors’ 113-111 comeback win over the San Antonio Spurs in Game 1 of NBA Western Conference finals.