As of the past year, the buzz surrounding the Golden State Warriors has taken the spotlight with every major sports network. Following their historic 67 win season that led to a championship last year, the Dubs have put together the regular season record in the history of the NBA, coming up with 73 wins and only 9 losses. Statistically speaking, this record puts this year’s Warriors ahead of Michael Jordan’s 1995-1996 Bulls, although many NBA legends have downplayed the Warriors’ accomplishments.
Most of the talk has involved the reigning MVP Steph Curry. Curry managed together one of the most impressive, record-shattering individual seasons the league has ever seen. A few statistics include Curry destroying the record for most made 3-pointers in one season. The record had previously been set by Curry himself with 286 made threes. This year alone he drained 402 3-pointers. Curry’s dominance does not stop there, however. Curry increased his average points per game from 23.8 PPG to over 30 PPG, the biggest increase in PPG ever for a reigning MVP.
The team opened up the season winning their first 24 games, making the game look like child’s play. Steph, throughout the season, was able to sit out for more than a handful of 4th quarters, as his team would be so dominant for the first three quarters that they wouldn’t need him for the last. Nobody could really challenge the Dubs, as they completed their season with an 89% winning percentage, an accomplishment so unlikely for a team in a league that plays almost every other day. The consistency and trust between teammates allowed for the winning culture to mature, as different players knew how to step up when others were struggling. The Warriors’, along with boasting the impressive backcourt of Steph Curry and Klay Thompson, have developed key role players that constantly make huge contributions to each and every game. Examples include Draymond Green, Shaun Livingston, Ian Clark, and the improved play of Festus Ezeli.
Despite the historic success of this Warriors team, the Dubs find themselves in 1-3 hole in the Western Conference Finals against the Thunder, who just recently pulled a major upset by beating the 67-win Spurs in only six games. Will the Warriors remember the mindset of success, or will they allow the Thunder to complete the two most impressive upsets in the NBA?
