Tyler Krenzin
Lantern Staff
The Golden State Warriors found themselves in one of the best situations in NBA history. First round pick and former Davidson University star Steph Curry stepped on the turbo after a couple mediocre seasons. Add in the fact that they were able to draft two more stars (Draymond Green and Klay Thompson), and the Warriors went from the middle of the pack to one of the best in a very short period of time. This all accumulated in the 2014-15 season where the Warriors won the NBA Finals, and Curry took home his first MVP award.
Nothing has changed in the years that have passed between then and now. Well, nothing might be the wrong word. In the 2015-16 season the Golden State core, built from a couple of draft picks, were able to put up a NBA best 73-win season. Hailed as one of the best seasons of all time, the team only got better and had the advantage of being young. Curry grabbed a second straight MVP, and the Warriors went on to lose in the Finals to the Cleveland Cavaliers. Last season, the Warriors took the form of villains after signing one of the best players in the NBA, who is in fact still in his prime, former MVP Kevin Durant. The 2016-17 Warriors may not have won 73 games, but they did all, but sweep their way to a NBA title.
Now we can say that nothing has changed for this Warriors’ team. The starting five is all the same, and short of a couple bench additions, they stayed with a relatively similar bench. So what makes this team even better than they were last year? Well, team chemistry is everything. Knowing the ins and outs of how your teammate plays can be the difference of a championship season, and one of complete collapse. You may be asking well if they were so good last year, and they are the same, then why would it be a hot take for them to run the NBA like they have over the last three years? One, no one asked you, and two, the Western Conference is the scariest that we have ever seen it. In the era of super teams, arguably started by the Boston Celtics in the 2007-08 season when the signed and traded for two superstars in Ray Allen and Kevin Garnet, teams are loading up their rosters as much as they can. Oklahoma City adds two All-Stars with trades for Paul George and Carmelo Anthony. New Orleans added another superstar with DeMarcus Cousins to play alongside Anthony Davis. Huston adds future Hall of Famer Chris Paul to play alongside MVP runner-up James Harden. More teams continue to add more superstars to their teams making the inevitable happen. People are questioning the Warriors’ ability to run the West yet again and it makes absolutely no sense. They are still the only team to have four All-Stars, and if Kevin Durant continues to play at the level he did in the later part of last season, and during the Finals, he will more than likely finish as the favorite for MVP. This is the most likely scenario. I cannot picture anyone else in the NBA that could challenge him should he stay healthy. Durant’s length allows him the advantage over all other small forwards, and his ability to score at will, can and will allow him to be the difference maker for the Warriors. We got a sneak peek at what Golden State will bring to the table during the Finals, and if they continue down that path, I am all in.
