For the second straight year, the Golden State Warriors have been a difficult team to assess during the regular season. They still have the best starting lineup of any team in the NBA, and when they are at their best, no team in either conference can match up with them. The problem, however, is that they rarely seem to be at their best even over the course of forty-eight minutes, let alone consistently over multiple games, and even though they win more often than not, their victories tend to require many more late-game heroics than they should.
A case in point was their victory over the Kings in Sacramento a couple of weeks ago. They were a little short-handed for the game, with Shawn Livingston and Andre Iguodala both sitting out, but Stephen Curry and Kevin Durant were in peak form, and the Warriors led by 14 late in the third quarter. Then, they not only let the Kings back into the game but fell behind by ten points with three minutes left, with the fans in the Golden One Arena going crazy over the prospect of knocking off the reigning champions. At that point, the Dubs decided to play defense, shut out the Kings for the next two minutes, took back the lead with forty seconds left, and closed out the evening with a five-point win.
As in baseball, it never pays to worry about a regular season game in the NBA, even a blowout to the short-handed Lakers on national television at Christmas, and the Warriors have all but admitted openly that their intensity is reserved for the playoffs. Nevertheless, there are reasons to suspect that the Warriors are not the super-human Evil Empire they once seemed to be. The injury bug pays more frequent visits, Klay Thompson’s shooting has been streaky of late, Draymond Green is unfailingly open for three-point shots for a reason, and the team is in the bottom half of the Western Conference for points allowed per game. They may still be a favorite to make this season’s Finals, but like last year in Houston, they will probably have to do it as less than a #1 seed and on another team’s home court. Not that this likely worries the Dubs. If you can’t win on the road, you don’t deserve to bring home a Larry O’Brien Trophy.
Regardless of how this season turns out, these Warriors have the feel of a dynasty nearing its end, much like the Last Dance 1998 Chicago Bulls. Whether or not Kevin Durant confirms the rumors of his free-agent departure next year to a team where he can escape from under Steph’s shadow, it is unlikely that the team can or should sustain the maximum contracts necessary to keep all of its stars. If not KD, someone, possibly Thompson or Green, may be off to greener pastures by next season–financially if not competitively. The landing should be softer for the Dubs than the post-Jordan Bulls, but it is still reason for anyone who wants a last glimpse of NBA history to do what it takes to see this crew in person. The Warrior premium on ticket prices may require a second mortgage, but the ability to tell your grandchildren you were there to see Steph hit threes will be priceless.
