Is it now safe to say that the current Golden State Warriors are the best NBA team since the Chicago Bulls of the 1990s? Their 53-5 record shows that they most certainly are, and shockingly, may even be better. Led by superstar guard Stephen Curry, the defending champs have had an extraordinary run during the regular season, placing them a mere twenty wins away from passing the 1995-96 Bulls and what seemed to be an insurmountable seventy-two regular season victories.
However, there is still plenty of work ahead. Having barely scraped past the Oklahoma City Thunder earlier this week, the Warriors have started to show slight signs of being beatable. After being annihilated by Damien Lillard and the Portland Trail Blazers, the Warriors barely snuck past the Miami Heat, and without the magic of Curry, would have gone down against the Thunder. With three more games to come against the San Antonio Spurs (plus another against the Thunder at the time of writing), there is a distinct possibility that the Warriors will fall short of the elusive seventy-two.
For all these doubts, there is one key figure that will almost certainly decide the outcome of this historic season – Steph Curry. Although some of his teammates have started to fade after the All Star break, Curry has stepped his game up to another level. Since the break, he has averaged 38.2 points per game on 56 percent shooting, while also making seven three-pointers a game at over 57 percent. These numbers are simply ridiculous and unprecedented in the NBA. There is no doubt that Curry has surpassed LeBron James as the best player in basketball and will capture his second straight MVP award.
Surrounding Curry is probably one of the best supporting casts in NBA history. Partnering him in the backcourt is All-Star Klay Thompson, an equally lethal long distance shooter capable of taking over a game at any moment, while the eccentric triple-double machine Draymond Green controls the frontcourt, dishing out assists, grabbing rebounds and most importantly, providing ferocity and leadership. With these three combined with an efficient bench that includes Finals MVP Andre Iguodala, the Warriors have a brilliant all-around team. Every member has a role to perform, and for the most part they do it admirably.
But for all their success, the Warriors still have a whole lot to do this season. By June, no one will care if Golden State won 73 games or not. Let’s be honest, if the Warriors don’t at least make the Finals, this season will be a complete disappointment. Criticism and controversy would undoubtedly be thrown in their direction, much like it was when the over-hyped ‘Big Three’ lost to the Dallas Mavericks in the 2011 Finals. Although the situation may be different to that Miami team, the fact of the matter is that the Warriors hype-train is at full throttle due to their regular season performances. There will be extensive pressure placed on their shoulders by both the media and fans, which begs the question – will this Warriors team crumble under the heavy expectations?
Let’s not forget about the difficulty of navigating through the Western Conference playoffs. Despite being first in the conference, the Warriors may still have to play a team such as Portland or Houston in the first round. It is highly unlikely that they would lose a series to either team, but there is certainly the possibility of a six or seven game series. From there they would most likely face the L.A. Clippers and then either the Spurs or the Thunder in the Conference Finals. So forget about the regular season, the real test starts in around six weeks when the playoffs begin.
When the Chicago Bulls won 72 games in the 1995-96 season, they went on and won the championship. The following year they won 69 games and won the championship. The year after that the won a meagre 62 games but guess what? They won the championship. I’m sure most people don’t know how many wins those teams had in the latter two seasons, because why does it matter? People remember champions. So don’t get carried away with Steph Curry and the Warriors just yet. Yes he’s amazing. Yes they’re reigning champions. And yes the Bulls' record will probably be broken. But just wait until the final whistle, because in sport, you have to expect the unexpected.