Golden State Warriors: 5 alternate facts
Dec 17, 2016; Oakland, CA, USA; Golden State Warriors forward Kevin Durant (35) pats guard Stephen Curry (30) on the head as a timeout is called against the Portland Trail Blazers during the third quarter at Oracle Arena. The Golden State Warriors defeated the Portland Trail Blazers 135-90. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports
The Golden State Warriors are the best team in the league. Here are some “alternate facts” for the rest of the league to cope with their dominance.
The Golden State Warriors are the best team in the league. They have some of the best players and they’re figuring out how to play together. It’s a scary thought for the rest of the league.
The Warriors have led a revolution since Steve Kerr took over. The game is being played farther away from the basket than in any other era and that’s, largely, because of them. They go small better than anyone else has before.
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The Warriors have used high-level thinking (and a dash of luck) in order to draft a strong core. Since the new ownership took over, they’ve hired some incredibly talented people. The team has made some wonderful free agent acquisitions, attracting both big name stars and overlooked gems.
They currently boast a roster with two former MVPs, four reigning All-NBA players, a Finals MVP, and a whole bunch of All-Star appearances. They have the Executive of the Year and the Coach of the Year. They won a championship then 73 games in a single season.
These are all facts about the Golden State Warriors. The Dubs’ dominance is a harsh reality for 28 other teams (I’ll give the Cleveland Cavaliers the benefit of the doubt…for now). But what happens when we change things?
For example, Steve Kerr joked that he was the greatest Orlando Magic player in franchise history, scoring over 14,000 points for them. Kerr was on the Magic for 47 games in the 1992-93 season. He scored 122 points.
Kerr didn’t lie though. He just happened to tell an alternate fact. One can disagree with the facts.
Following the head coach’s lead, here are five alternate facts about the Golden State Warriors for the rest NBA to help them sleep at night.
Jan 22, 2017; Orlando, FL, USA; Golden State Warriors forward Kevin Durant (35) and forward Draymond Green (23) react during the second half against the Orlando Magic at Amway Center. Golden State Warriors defeated the Orlando Magic 118-98. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
The Warriors wouldn’t be able to share one ball
Regardless of motivation, the argument was still the same: there’s only one ball. The Warriors had three All-NBA players. They had the league’s most potent offense, led by the scoring champion.
Steph Curry was an undeniable monster. He made the Golden State machine work. He averaged 30 points per game in under 35 minutes while knocking down a ridiculous 402 threes.
He was the league’s first MVP and the team’s clear alpha. Then, Durant, another former MVP, decided to join. Would he disrupt the team? His role would be far more different than Harrison Barnes’ as he just stood in the corner all game.
There’s just one ball. There aren’t enough shots to go around for Curry, Durant, and Klay Thompson, they’d say. They’d all decline and the team would crash and burn instantly.
Each member of the Big Three is very close to each other in shots. They’re each averaging 17 shots per game and scoring 20 or more every contest. It’s all very even.
The Warriors have their growing pains. During their collapse against Memphis, Draymond Green seemed to scold Durant for a bad shot attempt. It dominated the news cycle the next day, but there wasn’t anything there.
Here’s a fact: the Warriors’ chemistry is fantastic and it’s only getting better. Here’s an alternate fact: the Warriors can’t share one ball, the chemistry is falling apart, and Durant ruined everything.
January 4, 2017; Oakland, CA, USA; Portland Trail Blazers guard C.J. McCollum (3) shoots the basketball against Golden State Warriors forward Kevin Durant (35) during the first quarter at Oracle Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
The Warriors can’t play defense
In order to make room for Durant, the Golden State Warriors had to let a few pieces go. One of the casualties of the KD sweepstakes was Andrew Bogut. They had to let him walk in free agency and he left for the Dallas Mavericks.
Bogut was part of the Golden State turnaround. When the team traded away fan-favorite Monta Ellis, it was clear that there was going to be a big change in direction. Bogut was the new ownership’s announcement to the world that they mean business.
No longer would the Warriors be a mediocre team that scored a lot of points. They would be building around Steph Curry and using Bogut as their defensive anchor. And it worked.
Golden State was strong with the Aussie patrolling the paint. Their defense was elite and Festus Ezeli gave the Warriors a strong option off the bench. Even better, the Warriors’ small ball lineup, with Harrison Barnes at the four, was a nightmare for opposing teams.
Then they let a lot of key pieces and many speculated that the defense would fall apart. The Warriors are first in defensive rating, first in blocks, and first in steals. They’re beating teams on that end.
Draymond Green is a legitimate Defensive Player of the Year candidate. He’s saved games that hung in the balance with incredible defensive plays. Durant is playing the best defense of his career and the team is buying what Ron Adams is selling.
The Warriors were supposed to fall apart on that end. Their amazing offensive firepower still has people believing that they don’t compete. Teams are still challenging Green one-on-one and players are attacking the rim as if Durant isn’t one of the best rim protectors in the game.
There’s a notion that they can’t play defense. Charles Barkley has brainwashed the masses and Steph Curry threes distract folks from the gritty work they do on the other end of court. And it’s fine, it plays right into Golden State’s hands.
Here’s a fact: the Warriors have the best defense in basketball. Here’s an alternate fact: they have no rim protection and can’t stop anyone from scoring.
Jan 22, 2017; Orlando, FL, USA; Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) reacts against the Orlando Magic during the second half at Amway Center. Golden State Warriors defeated the Orlando Magic 118-98. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
Steph Curry isn’t the best point guard in basketball
In some alternate universe, Steph Curry is probably doing something innocuous, like being a guidance counselor at his former high school. Or maybe he’d be working admissions at Davidson College. Something relatively low key for the tall yet baby-faced young man.
In this universe, however, he’s the best point guard in the NBA. He’s one of the baddest dudes to step on a basketball court. He’s one of the league’s most lethal weapons ever.
When Durant signed, there was talk of a looming power struggle between Curry and him. How could the two-time MVP allow another alpha come to his team? They were two top dogs and something had to give.
Thus far, it’s been Curry that has taken a smaller role. Early in the season, he struggled to find his way in his new role. The media ran with it and talked about his enormous drop-off.
The funny thing about Curry’s season–which, admittedly, is not as special as last year’s–is that his “down year” is still better than most point guard’s best years. He’s averaging over 24 points, six assists, and four rebounds per game. He leads the league in three-pointers and plus-minus.
Curry got off to a slow start yet he’s still the best point guard in the league. He’s not putting up gaudy numbers like Russell Westbrook or James Harden, but it doesn’t matter. Curry’s all-time talent didn’t disappear and his impact is as high as ever.
Numbers don’t tell the whole story. Teams game plan for Curry more than they do any other player in the league. Defenses are designed to stop him and let everyone else–including Durant–run freely. That’s how scary he is.
He can take over when he wants and defer when a teammate gets hot. His skill set is unprecedented. He’s a winner and an amazingly gifted offensive player.
A triple-double doesn’t supersede him. An incredible shot in Game 7 doesn’t dethrone him. He is one of the most gifted players ever.
Here is a fact: Steph Curry is the best point guard in the NBA. Here’s an alternative fact: [insert non-Steph Curry name here] is the best point guard in the NBA.
Jun 16, 2016; Cleveland, OH, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James (23) stares at Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) in the fourth quarter in game six of the NBA Finals at Quicken Loans Arena. Cleveland won 115-101. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-USA TODAY Sports
The Warriors that won 73 games blew a 3-1 lead in the Finals
The Golden State Warriors were up 3-1 in the NBA Finals. Then, LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers then capped off an improbable comeback, erasing that deficit and defeating the Warriors in Game 7. It was absolute chaos.
The Warriors were embarrassed. They won 73 regular season games–beating the mark set by Michael Jordan’s Chicago Bulls–and they did it in style. They were blowing teams out and making it look easy. Professional players looked like high schoolers compared to them.
Golden State was a well-oiled machine behind the first ever unanimous MVP. Everything was going right for them. The playoffs were just a formality.
That is, until they weren’t. Steph Curry sprained his knee in the second round of the playoffs and missed time with an MCL sprain. The Warriors struggled without him, forced him to come back early, and he produced. He scored 17 points in overtime in Game 4 and told the Portland crowd “I’m here, I’m back.”
Curry then went up against the explosive Russell Westbrook in a demanding and physically taxing seven game series. The Warriors built moment after winning four straight to beat Oklahoma City while Cleveland struggled to beat Toronto. It looked like the repeat was imminent.
Golden State went up 3-1 and the parade preparations were underway. Then Draymond Green was suspended for something that was blown out of proportion. Then Andrew Bogut went down. Then Klay Thompson hurt his leg and, worse, Andre Iguodala hurt his back. Curry’s injury never healed and, alas, Cleveland made history.
James, Kyrie Irving, and co. all did what they had to do. They played who was in front of them, played their best basketball, and came away with a narrow victory. But it wasn’t the 73 win Warriors that let that lead slip away.
That team was decimated by bad luck and injuries. They had the healthy Cavaliers right where they wanted them then the wheels fell off, starting with Green’s untimely and controversial suspension. Curry’s struggles were a result of a not-fully-recovered knee injury and the rest of the team got hurt at the worst time.
The Warriors hadn’t lost three in a row in over two seasons. It doesn’t make sense that they would just fall apart with a title on the line. They weren’t “exposed” or “trash” or any number of words Twitter trolls like to use; they had bad luck. It happens.
That 73-win team was great. Unfortunately, that’s not who we got in the Finals, for one reason or a another.
Here’s a fact: the 73-9 Warriors did not lose to the Cleveland Cavaliers. Alternate fact: Steph Curry and the Warriors magically forgot how to play basketball and casually dropped four games in a row to an inferior team that they dominated for two hours.
January 8, 2017; Sacramento, CA, USA; Golden State Warriors forward Kevin Durant (35) and guard Stephen Curry (30) celebrate against the Sacramento Kings during the fourth quarter at Golden 1 Center. The Warriors defeated the Kings 117-106. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
The Warriors aren’t going to win this year’s championship.
This is perhaps the easiest and hardest truth for the rest of the NBA to swallow. The Golden State Warriors are the best team and it’s not really close. They were the best team before and now they added Kevin Durant.
The Warriors will cruise to a championship. They’re defeating teams, generally with relative ease, and they haven’t figured it out yet. Steve Kerr is still playing with rotations and Durant’s presence is still being adjusted to.
Golden State has yet to click and they embarrassed the defending champs on national television. They have the best record in the league. They have two top-three players in the world, the Defensive Player of the Year, another All-Star, and a Finals MVP to boot.
The Warriors are not flawless, but it doesn’t seem like most of their likely playoff opponents could expose their few weaknesses. The path to the Finals won’t necessarily be easy, but they’re going to beat everyone in their path. They just have too much talent.
This is a bonafide superteam. They have the best offensive and defensive team in the NBA. They are hungry for blood.
The NBA likes to pretend that 30 teams have a chance to win a title in their promos. Generally, that number is more like four or five. This year? It’s only one and that team resides in the Bay Area.
Here’s a fact: the Golden State Warriors will win their second championship in three years, if health permits, and there’s nothing anyone can do about it. Here’s an alternate fact: Cleveland, San Antonio, etc. actually have a chance.