The Warriors still want to be the newcomers, the radicals shaking up the sport. But they’re the establishment nowAfter Detroit’s Chauncey Billups-inspired demolition of the Los Angeles Lakers in the 2004 finals, perhaps the NBA’s greatest post-season upset of the early 2000s came in the first round of the 2007 Western Conference playoffs. The Dallas Mavericks, owned by billionaire Mark Cuban and led by MVP-in-waiting Dirk Nowitzki, had come off a record-breaking regular season in which they’d won 67 games and lost just 15. The Golden State Warriors had not made the playoffs since 1994; their squad included a number of oddballs and castoffs from other teams such as small forward Stephen Jackson, who was traded by the Indiana Pacers...
Golden State played beautiful basketball from the start of the season through to their inevitable title. But will their brilliance hurt the league?The dusky antechinus is a small marsupial native to south-east Australia. The males in the species live until their first mating season, when they breed and then quickly die from all the exertion. All that build up to a moment of accomplishment, the pinnacle of their existence ... and then nothing more but the dark embrace of death. The Golden State Warriors may have made the NBA into the dusky antechinus of sports leagues.It’s a waste of time to debate that the 2017 Warriors are anything but one of the greatest NBA teams of all-time, if not the...
The Golden State coach has brought unity to team of superstars. They would be severely weakened if his back problems force him out of the gameThe most important person on court when the Golden State Warriors won the NBA title again was the man who wept. Sometimes it’s easy to forget how much their dynasty is because of Steve Kerr. Could it last without him? Related: LeBron James refuses to be drawn on future: 'I need to figure this thing out' Related: Not just anyone could lead the Warriors to 20-0. Luke Walton was made for coaching Continue reading...
The Warriors are probably the best team the NBA has seen in 20 years, but the defending champions showed in Game 4 they’re more than afterthoughts The Cleveland Cavaliers are still the NBA’s current champion with essentially the same team from last year’s title and it was particularly cruel they had to spend three days at home enduring a debate about whether these Golden State Warriors are the greatest team ever. What happened Friday night with Cleveland’s 137-116 Game 4 trampling of the Warriors shouldn’t be a surprise.Did everyone really think Golden State – as good as they have played – are that much better than the Cavs? Related: NBA finals Game 4: Golden State Warriors 116-137 Cleveland Cavaliers –...
Golden State’s two-time MVP was a shadow of himself in last year’s NBA finals. But now he is making the team his own againThe obvious reaction three games into an NBA finals the Golden State Warriors are almost certain to win is that Kevin Durant is the series MVP. After all, he is averaging 34 points and 10 rebounds a game and pulled out Game 3 for Golden State with a three-pointer that clinched the 118-113 victory over Cleveland. Most will say he is clearly the difference between the 2017 and 2016 finals, which the Cavaliers won in seven games.But they forget that the Warriors also have Stephen Curry back. Related: Warriors one win from NBA title after late rally...