Photo courtesy of Keith Allison, Wikipedia
After winning back-to-back and three of the last four NBA championships, the Golden State Warriors have cemented their legacy as one of the greatest dynasties to ever step on the court.
With yet another superstar lineup, which features five-time All-Star and two-time MVP Steph Curry, four-time All-Star Klay Thompson, three-time All-Star Draymond Green and one of the greatest pure scorers of all time, Kevin Durant, the Warriors have their eyes set on a three-peat.
To make matters worse for the other 29 NBA teams, the Warriors also brought in four-time All-Star center DeMarcus Cousins, who is recovering from a torn Achilles tendon, to round out their star-studded lineup when he returns in either December or January.
How can they afford such a talented squad? With Curry and Durant making well over $30 million per year, they have Thompson, Green and Cousins all inked to team-friendly deals.
This allowed the team to not only keep all five players on the same team, but also acquire some serious bench talent for more than the veteran’s minimum.
Golden State’s recent dominance has turned fans away because they see no point in watching the league anymore, and many sports analysts and websites have deemed the Warriors because of their negative impact on the NBA.
This couldn’t be further from the truth, however. With the Warriors loading up for another championship, they have elevated the level of play and competition within the league.
With teams like the Houston Rockets acquiring Carmelo Anthony, the Los Angeles Lakers locking up LeBron James and both the Boston Celtics and Philadelphia 76ers loading up on talent through the draft and free agency, the league is going to be something to watch over the next several years.
The Warriors dominance is going to come to an end sooner than later because guys like Thompson, Green and Cousins are going to want to get paid. With rumors swirling that Thompson will be the one to leave after this season so that the team can lock up Green long-term, the core group of guys could be diminished as soon as next season.
Teams are building not only to compete with the Warriors now, but for the future when the Warriors disassemble. The Celtics, who have Kyrie Irving and Gordon Hayward locked up for the foreseeable future, and the 76ers, who have Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons under contract for the next several years, are built to win for at least the next three or four seasons.
Yes, it may be boring to watch the Warriors, who are 9-1 and off to a hot start, but their dominance has forced other teams to try and match what they’re doing and as a result, more and more teams will elevate and the league will see fierce competition for many years.
It’s also worth noting that the Warriors are special and watching them is something you may never see again. Curry is going to finish as the greatest shooter ever, Durant is going to finish as, most likely, the best pure scorer the game has ever seen and Draymond green is going to going down as one of the best defensive players in the history of the NBA.
What they’re doing on the court and to other teams is something that has never been seen before. Just a few years ago, they finished with the best record ever at 73-9. If you can’t appreciate the greatness that’s right in front of you, you’re missing out on something truly amazing.
wfeola@ramapo.edu
