Looking at the list of NBA champions, year to year, and I am focusing in on the Warriors' 5-year run starting with the 2014-15 season, when they won their first championship. Here's their five-year run...
2014-15: 67-15, won NBA finals
2015-16: 73-9, lost NBA finals
2016-17: 67-15, won NBA finals
2017-18: 58-24, won NBA finals
2018-19: 57-25, lost NBA finals
The 2015-16 NBA finals...that was the year Draymond got ejected and suspended for a game in the finals, and the Cavs came back from 3-1 down in the series to win 4 games to 3. And in 2018-19, everyone on the Warriors got hurt and were playing with a skeleton crew in the finals.
So some highlights on the resumé:
- 5 straight trips to the NBA finals, coming out of a brutal Western conference
- 3 NBA championships
- 322-88 regular season record (.785)
- Broke the all-time single season record in 2015-16 at 73-9
- Features a minimum of three hall-of-fame players (Curry, Durant, Klay), with two others as possibilities (Draymond, Iguodala)
The Warriors weren't the greatest team ever, but they have to be *among* the best teams ever, right? Nobody won more games over a single season than them. Nobody won more games over a three-year period than them. Few teams have won 3 titles in 4 years. Few teams have been to 5 straight NBA finals. Few teams have a lineup featuring quite possibly 5 guys who will be in the HOF someday. Two of the players (Steph, Durant) are quite likely in the top 15 of all time.
That's a very impressive resumé. Where do they stack up with other all-time great teams?
2014-15: 67-15, won NBA finals
2015-16: 73-9, lost NBA finals
2016-17: 67-15, won NBA finals
2017-18: 58-24, won NBA finals
2018-19: 57-25, lost NBA finals
The 2015-16 NBA finals...that was the year Draymond got ejected and suspended for a game in the finals, and the Cavs came back from 3-1 down in the series to win 4 games to 3. And in 2018-19, everyone on the Warriors got hurt and were playing with a skeleton crew in the finals.
So some highlights on the resumé:
- 5 straight trips to the NBA finals, coming out of a brutal Western conference
- 3 NBA championships
- 322-88 regular season record (.785)
- Broke the all-time single season record in 2015-16 at 73-9
- Features a minimum of three hall-of-fame players (Curry, Durant, Klay), with two others as possibilities (Draymond, Iguodala)
The Warriors weren't the greatest team ever, but they have to be *among* the best teams ever, right? Nobody won more games over a single season than them. Nobody won more games over a three-year period than them. Few teams have won 3 titles in 4 years. Few teams have been to 5 straight NBA finals. Few teams have a lineup featuring quite possibly 5 guys who will be in the HOF someday. Two of the players (Steph, Durant) are quite likely in the top 15 of all time.
That's a very impressive resumé. Where do they stack up with other all-time great teams?