In the sporting world where projections and conjecture are as routine as a Steph Curry three-pointer, there is a fascinating tendency that often occurs when the best-of-the-best are being discussed.
The top teams and players are so good for so long that they all eventually find themselves under the microscope, with nitpicking commencing from there while logic and reason fall by the wayside and the seemingly-endless airtime gets filled. Just ask the Golden State Warriors.
The notion that they enter the 2015-16 season as anything less than frontrunners is absurd, in part because of what they accomplished last season and also because of what they’ve done since. Yes, the San Antonio Spurs won the summer by adding LaMarcus Aldridge and David West. And yes, LeBron James’ Cleveland Cavaliers should be even more formidable than before in their second year together.
But the downside to dominance for the Warriors is that it eventually gets overlooked. And so as training camps tip off across the league and the various storylines are being set, it appears quite clear that there is a need for a refresher course.
Just look at it in this light: the unofficial title of 2015-16 frontrunner is, in essence, a job that’s up for grabs. Good luck finding a better resume’ than this one. And remember that, sans David Lee (traded to Boston) and Alvin Gentry (former associate head coach who is now New Orleans Pelicans head coach), they have the whole gang back together and also added veteran forward Jason Thompson:
- Franchise record in regular season wins (67)
- Since the league's inception in 1946, only five teams had ever won more games than last year's Warriors.
- Franchise record in roads win (28-14)
- Eighth highest point differential of all time (plus-10.10)
- Third-highest three-point total in NBA history (883), with the highest clip of any team in the all-time top five (.398) by a large margin (2012-13 Knicks shot .376 and were second at 891 threes).
- Curry set single-season record for threes (286), and now has three of top five single-season marks in NBA history.
- Led the league in double-digit wins (45) by a large margin (San Antonio was second with 34)
- Had 30-plus assists a league-leading 28 times, with Atlanta second at 18 (Warriors were 25-3 in those games). Had a franchise record in assists (27.4 per game). Warriors opponents had 30-plus assists just once.
- Had the top defensive rating in the NBA (98.2) and the second-best offensive rating (109.7 behind the Clippers).
Now as for the playoffs, it is fair and reasonable to wonder what might have happened if the Cleveland Cavaliers were healthy in the Finals. But once the move was made to put Andre Iguodala into the starting lineup after Game 3, the Warriors ended their magical season on a three-game winning streak that shouldn’t be soon forgotten.
What’s more, the bigger picture of their postseason offers little – if any – clues that they’re going to be easy to topple in their title defense.
- Had the best defensive rating of any playoff team (97.4) and the second-best offense (a rating of 106.4, behind only San Antonio).
- Went 16-5 in the playoffs (4-0 vs. New Orleans in the first round; 4-2 vs. the Memphis Grizzlies; 4-1 vs. the Houston Rockets; 4-2 vs. Cleveland).
There’s more here, from the fact that coach Steve Kerr should be even more comfortable and confident in his second season on the job to the reality that their core’s cohesiveness could improve yet again. The underdog of the elites, in other words, they most assuredly are not.
But as title-defense challenges go, the battle against complacency is certainly one the Warriors will fight. As Curry sees it, there's no better way to avoid that trap than good, old-fashioned focus.
"We have to be at our best every time we step out on the floor," Curry said. "We can’t just think we’re going to be the same team and show up and win 67 games and win the championship. It’s not going to be easy. For us, it’s about doing what we do well but doing it better."
Or perhaps, to take Green's approach: pretend you're not being overlooked and that the age-old target on the back is bigger than ever. Even if it's not.
"It’s probably going to get worse, where everybody is going to be gunning for us, there’s no nights off (and) everybody wants to beat you," Green said. "I think the challenge for this team is to approach Game 1 of 82 like it’s Game 1 of 82...When you win a championship, you just have to make sure that everybody stays hungry. And I don’t think that will ever be a problem on this team. We know we have a lot more that we can accomplish and a lot that we want to accomplish."
