They built a record dynasty like no other in NBA history. But it took only six games, and 288 minutes to be exact, for everything to fall apart.
Looking for a third straight championship, the Warriors lost first Kevin Durant and then Klay Thompson to injuries in consecutive games, leaving their title hopes in the tsatters.
With Thompson missing the rest of the 2019-20 season, Golden State received another blow when Durant left for the Brooklyn Nets.
And then what was already threatening to become a lost season later went out of control even more when Steph Curry fell hard just one week into the regular season.
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Curry’s injury sent the Warriors into a spiral. (Photo by Christian Petersen / Getty Images) Source: Getty Images
A few days before Curry’s injury, Golden State was beaten 120-92 by Oklahoma City, losing 33 points at halftime, the Warriors’ biggest deficit since 1997.
“The reality is we’re doing shit right now,” said Frank Draymond Green after the game.
And that was with Curry still on the ground. Without him, the Warriors faced an identity crisis.
For every team that reaches the top, a fall is inevitable, but that wasn’t all cap equipment.
This was a Warriors team that had reached the Finals for five consecutive seasons and won three championships, but it was no longer about titles and instead a much dirtier T-word.
“It goes against everything we and I stand for,” said Warriors owner Joe Lacob. ESPN when asked if the organization would close.
“We will fight like hell. Develop our youth. Learn to win.”
But that wasn’t the Warriors of old, victories weren’t easy, and coach Steve Kerr openly admitted that the team “had no idea who we were.”
Head coach Steve Kerr faced some harsh truths. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox / Getty Images) Source: Getty Images
“We haven’t set much,” he said after that defeat to the Thunder.
“We are playing without centers, and we are playing with nine players. I realize I’m making a lot of excuses, but they’re real. We need to build a backup with these young guys, and it takes time. “
In reality, the Warriors only took 1,084 days to return to the Finals, this time against the Celtics, adding one more chapter to one of the most dominant dynasties in recent memory.
As much as Lacob declined to answer questions about the tank after Curry’s injury, The one from Athletic Marcus Thompson said not everyone was so sure it was an easy fix.
“Not so blatantly, but you’ve heard the doubt,” he told The Zach Lowe podcast earlier this week.
“You can see it in the move to get D’Angelo Russell. Even as superstars say we’re replenishing, we go back to tools, there was a feeling to say, ‘You know what, we’re rebuilding.’ back door “.
The Warriors returned to the top very quickly. Ezra Shaw / Getty Images / AFPSfont: AFP
As Thompson wrote in a column for Athleticthis week, there was even an air of uncertainty around the golden trio after the defeat of the 2019 Final.
“Some, including many Warriors fans, predicted his demise,” he wrote.
But Green had known all along that if the three Golden State cores stayed on the court, it wouldn’t be long before the Warriors returned to the top of the league, where they belonged.
“I’ve always said, no one has shown that they can still beat us when we’re whole,” Green said. “It simply came to our notice then. I never doubt what we are capable of. I think as we look forward to the year, you can see that this team is capable of a great race. “
He doesn’t just say that either. Only three teams in the last 10 seasons have defeated the Warriors’ masterful in a series of the best of seven with Curry, Green and Thompson all healthy.
Two of those defeats occurred while all three were much younger and had yet to prove championship success, while the other came at the hands of LeBron James, Kyrie Irving and Cleveland.
Even then, Curry had been hampered by a sprained knee while Green was suspended in Game 5.
Simply put, this is a trio like no other on a team like no other. This is not to say that the Warriors have not undergone any evolution in recent years.
It all starts with Durant deciding to go out the door. For starters, Curry, Thompson and Green have another chance to prove they can win a title without him.
Sure, they did in 2015, but the Cavs were without Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love, and no matter how important it is to them, this is an opportunity to put this narrative to bed.
The Warriors also deserve a lot of credit for the way they reshaped their squad after Durant’s departure.
It all started with a sign and an exchange for D’Angelo Russell, who, while not offering much in the short term, ended up becoming a more prized asset.
Russell signed a four-year, $ 117 million ($ 163 million) contract, but only seven months later he moved to Minnesota with Jacob Evans and Omari Spellman for Andrew Wiggins and two 2021 draft picks.
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Once seen as a failure, Wiggins has rejuvenated his career in the revitalized Warriors, no longer laden with high expectations, but has instead played his part to perfection.
So much so that coach Kerr called him the “key” to the Warriors recovering their golden days.
“Wiggins’ trade allowed us to start rebuilding that wing defense, ”Kerr said.
“Wiggs has been so good, he’s improved a lot over the last two years. He fits in perfectly with our guys.”
The obvious highlight of the match was Luka Doncic’s thunderous strike, but it was Wiggins’ work that made him especially valuable.
Kerr said the Warriors would have been “dead” without Wiggins’ work as the Slovenian superstar’s main defender.
Russell’s change also came with the No. 7 pick in the draft, who became striker Jonathan Kuminga, whom Kerr has relied on to play more important minutes this postseason.
Then there is the appearance of Jordan Poole, who was taken by the Warriors with the 28th selection of the 2019 draft.
Jordan Poole has been a revelation. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson / Getty Images) Source: Getty Images
Poole became a key contributor at the end of the season as Curry and Thompson took out the injuries from the injury, putting themselves in the discussion of the best player after averaging 18.5 points and four assists. per party.
Although Curry admitted to having “a little PTSD” when he suffered a hand injury earlier this year, it ended up being a bit of a blessing in disguise.
Poole took his place in the starting lineup and made an immediate splash, to the point that Kerr allowed himself the luxury of taking Curry as the sixth man in the first round of the playoffs against Denver.
Just a year ago, Poole played in the G League. Now, he is looking for a big payday this offseason, as the 22-year-old is eligible for an extension of his rookie contract.
Kevon Looney is another that has flourished in the Golden State system, transforming itself into a rebounding machine that is making an impact at both ends of this playoff series.
The same goes for Otto Porter Jr., Nemanja Bjelica and Gary Payton II – all the guys the Warriors knew would buy their culture and are now seeing rewards on the court.
Which brings us back to coach Kerr. Despite all the changes, injuries and setbacks, he has been the only constant in this Golden State dynasty.
Coach Kerr has led from the front. (Photo by Ezra Shaw / Getty Images) Source: Getty Images
As Curry of Kerr said last year, “It makes everyone on the list feel valued” and the results have been seen, especially in the rapid rise of Poole and Wiggins.
“Steve is our leader,” Thompson said after the Warriors reserved their place in the final. “He’s an amazing visionary when it comes to thinking about basketball. There’s a reason he’s been earning so much all his life because he’s the kind of person who just gravitates toward greatness.”
And considering where they were a few years ago, could this be a new level of greatness for Kerr and the Warriors?
May be. It will surely be one different a kind of feeling if they lift the Larry O’Brien Championship Trophy this time.
“In the regular season, we literally never had our majors on the court at the same time until the first game in the Denver series,” Kerr said this week.
“So it was kind of a rocky road to get here, but I feel good about the process and our potential if we could put all our key guys on the ground.”
“It simply came to our notice then. But in a different way, it was incredibly significant considering everything we’ve experienced organizationally over the last two years. “