Before you start reading, start playing the song “Seek and Destroy” by Metallica.
Now you are ready.
The Golden State Warriors of 2015-2016 just might ultimately become the greatest basketball team since the 95-96 Bulls---a team that notoriously bulldozed the nasty Eastern Conference on their way to an easy Finals win (along the way eliminating the greatest Magic and Sonics teams ever assembled) . Using a crazy concoction of ridiculous shooting, small size, jaded speed, annoying defense, and a relentless approach to shove down as many points down your throat as possible, the Warriors of today are playing lights-out basketball (winning by an AVERAGE of double-digits a game) and it has become a beauty to see. Also adding to the mix is the new-age NBA which allows for a team like the Warriors to actually survive.
Let’s start with what the Warriors are doing. Steph Curry took the words of “they got lucky” to the chest and has unleashed a start that easily makes him the best player in the NBA, running the best team in the planet. MVP numbers, MVP leadership (do remember that they don’t even have their coach yet), and dazzling plays have ignited the Bay Area and the rising bandwagon fanbase that enjoys watching this team play and run circles around everyone. Iguodala would be a starter on half the lineups in the NBA, yet plays off the bench—which shows the depth of their offense. Four players have a PER of at least 18—and Klay Thompson is just starting to get better. They are on top in every offensive category—and then achieve being in the top 10 in rebounds, steals, blocks, and forced turnovers. Even crazier is that the team is built to last, as their leads get so massive and there are so many players with the potential to take over, their best player can sit out the 4th quarter and not miss a single beat.
Their defense is their only slight flaw (is it even a flaw if they haven’t won?), as they are 11th in the league in points allowed. But scoring 115 points per game is ridiculous, and will cover any holes you might find in their lineup. Their formula has no weakness, even if they sacrifice defense. Playing a small lineup allows them to run the ball, and dictate the pace. Using big men lineups is the only way to even have a chance, but they better have some speed in their system otherwise the Warriors will just wear you out---which is how the Grizzlies and Cavaliers managed to lose so many in a row back in the 2015 Playoffs when it looked like they had control.
That being said, this new-age NBA allows for teams like this to explode out the game and thrive. Back in the 90s, if you didn’t have a successful and powerful big man you were in trouble—unless you had a Michael Jordan to cover for that loss. Back then, it was physical, tough, aggressive, nasty, and cutthroat from the first minute to the last. This type of rough basketball created the popular rivalries of peak-NBA: Knicks/Bulls, Knicks/Heat, Knicks/Pacers (notice a trend?), Celtics/Lakers, Pistons/Bulls, and the notable rivalry period would end with the Lakers/Kings and Pistons/Pacers.
Nowadays we pretend like there are rivalries, but the results are too one-sided to earn the word (LeBron/Bulls, Clippers/Warriors, Warriors/Grizzlies). The point is, the competition was fierce because the talent pool was deep and better distributed, and also because hand checks and hard fouls were allowed without an eyebrow being raised. 2014-2016 Warriors would die in the 90s; that is guaranteed. So they have a slight stroke of fortune there.
No more takeaways however, as this year currently belongs to the Warriors and this might carry on all the way through June unless other teams start stepping up. The Spurs will do their yearly coasting, without attempting to win every game. The Cavs will remain a threat, although LeBron James this season shocked me by benching himself in the middle of the game---which is inexcusable lack of leadership. The Cavaliers look like they are laboring through the season, while the Warriors just look like playground boys having tons of fun. Does anyone else in the NBA even look like they have a shot? The two major similarities between this Golden State squad and the eternal 96 Bulls is that each team had the best player in the world, and that they want to win every single game regardless of standings, importance of game, and who they are playing.
Golden State has the drive and talent to break the winning streak record, and potentially even the regular season wins record. Whether or not they plan on easing the pedals after the (expected) clinching of a playoff spot will be revealed with time, but for now I can only see the Spurs and maybe the Thunder (if they can get past the free agency drama among other things) standing in the way of their second straight title. This much is certain: the Warriors are mad, very mad; they have proven that they aren’t a fluke, and are edging closer towards a few records while solidifying itself as the team that is leagues ahead of everyone else.
No luck here. Beware the Warriors. Seriously.
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