Warriors’ Short-lived Glory
The Golden State Warriors have dominated the league in many ways possible in the last five years. Now that the team has been bombarded by injuries, the 2019 NBA Finals may be the end of their short-lived rule.
The Golden State Warriors have made five consecutive trips to the NBA Finals, a historical feat that adds up to their legacy. They have the third most trips to the finals next to the Los Angeles Lakers and the Boston Celtics.
The Warriors have become more popular in the 2014-2015 season. They did change the way the game was played, harnessing the three-pointer and integrating it to the whole team. Steve Kerr’s insertion to the team as the head coach meant that the Warriors would further improve and hone their three-point shooting.
The Warriors have become a team that was known for their three-point shooting. The Splash Brothers were leading the team in the form of Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson. The team has developed a fast-paced and up-tempo offence. They were known for their run-and-gun plays with three-point shooting.
The Warriors were eliminated in the first round of the 2014 Playoffs. They lost against the Los Angeles Clippers in seven games. It was one of the most dramatic series in the first round. The series went for a decisive game seven, where the Clippers used a third-quarter burst to win by five, 126-121.
Then the team went on a clean slate. They fired Mark Jackson, and signed Steve Kerr as the new head coach. Fans and analysts were quick to speculate that the new coach would then be able to further harness the team’s three-point shooting.
Steve Kerr employed the elements of the triangle offence, a strategy he learned back in his days with the Chicago Bulls under the legendary Phil Jackson. He added the spacing and pace that he learned from Gregg Popovich’s classic San Antonio Spurs. He revamped the Warriors’ game and shaped it into what it is right now.
The 2015-16 season was a pursuit of history for the Warriors. They finished the season with a 73-9 record, the best record in the history of the league. They were undeniably untouchable in the season, and so did Stephen Curry, who was named as the unanimous MVP for the season.
The Cavaliers ended up as the first team to come back from a 3-1 deficit in the Finals. They were able to crush the legacy that the 73-9 team has made. Cleveland has ended its 52-year championship drought in all sports with that victory. Warriors clearly blew that one.
Kevin Durant’s addition to the Warriors was an absolute dominance for the team. The team won back-to-back championships once more, both as a result of Kevin Durant’s clutch play. The dynasty went into an end when they faced the Toronto Raptors last Finals as injuries plagued the team.
The Warriors would then had its roster filled with young players, mostly from the G-League. That was followed by injuries to Curry and Green, which led to the immediate decline of the team. Now the team is sinking at the bottom of the Western Conference.
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