I don't write much about sports anymore, mostly cause I don't really have an interesting perspective to contribute. But I want to write about these 2015-2016 Golden State Warriors just because I want to. Many words have been written about this historic 73 win team who sadly will not be remembered as the best team ever because of their Finals loss. Despite that failure, what I find fascinating is how unique and well put together this team is, with so many players playing interesting roles. Before the championship disappointment, sportswriters were trying to rank this team among all timers. Unlike the showtime Lakers and the '86 Celtics, the Warriors are not stacked with all timers at every position. The Warriors are more flawed, with a real vulnerability in rebounding, than those teams and the Jordan Bulls, but more than make up with their incredible shooting prowess. This imbalance enhances the team's likability - they're less like the big playground bully and more like a kid that somehow always wins at rocks-paper-scissors.
Here's a breakdown of the players on the first non-Boston team I've ever cared about, and an ode to why their greatness should not be diminished:
Stephen Curry
When I fantasize about being a superstar basketballer, while being short, I basically imagine being Steph Curry. He has maximized the scoring potential of a 6'3" shooting guard, raising our peak expectations of the position from a Steve Nash or Allen Iverson. Not only is he the best shooter of all time, but he's so much better than the second best, shattering 3 point records in a ruthlessly Ruthian manner. But it's his amazing handle, the way he can get one step away from his defender who knows not to let him shoot, the way he drives to the hoop and makes difficult layups and floaters look automatic, and the flashy passes he delivers when teams overload on him and forget he's a true point guard. He's not perfect - Curry is sloppy, turning it over more than he should, and with his slight build he occasionally gets exposed on defense. But with the way he was overlooked coming out of high school (3 star recruit!), going to the small conference Davidson, and even after scoring all those buckets in college (including 30 to knock out Georgetown) being drafted behind 4 guards, and spraining his ankle 5 times, Stephen Curry has overcome so much. Pablo Torre's article on how all his ankle rehab work has made him better post-injury made me realize just how hard Curry has worked. He is this incredible culmination of a phenomenally coordinated athlete with a naturally great shot and an insane work ethic. Through it all, he's managed a very likable mix of self-confidence and humbleness en route to winning 2 MVPs and becoming everyone's favorite player.
Klay Thompson
If Curry is an otherworldly shooter, Thompson is simply a best-of-this-world shooter. At 6'8", his highlight reel includes some blocks and dunks in addition to all those 3's. To have both these incredible shooters on the same team at the same time defies probability and implies that they've pushed each other to shoot better. They're both also sons of former NBA players and relatively unheralded coming out of high school. Klay was the 11th pick in the 2011 draft. Unlike Curry, who was famous as a freshman, I hadn't heard of Klay until the Warriors were starting to get good. When Klay gets hot, he gets really hot, with an insane record-breaking 37 point 3rd quarter this past year. He probably couldn't lead a team consistently like Curry does, but goodness is he deadly on this team.
Draymond Green
Listed at 6'7", Green somehow spends most of his time playing either the 4 or the 5, and among the Warriors starters, is the only good defender. He's the biggest mouth, the most boisterous, and the one with the biggest chip on his shoulder after getting drafted 35th coming out of Michigan State. He does so many incredible tasks on the court, from quarterbacking the defense to rebounding to incredible passing to making hustle players to draining 3 pointers. He was 2nd in the league with 13 triple doubles in the regular season. While his offensive efficiency is low for this team, Green is such a great glue guy that the Warriors really can't win without him. In some ways he's as unique a player as Curry and as important to the team, even getting 2 second place MVP votes this year.
Andrew Bogut
Do people remember that Andrew Bogut was a #1 overall pick? The Australian who played college ball in Utah was sorely missed in the last 2 Warriors losses. He never really fulfilled #1 pick expectations, but he didn't fail either, peaking at 15.9 points/game and 10.2 rebounds/game and 2.5 blocks/game in 2009-10. His stats look low this year as Bogut doesn't feature much in the Warriors' offense and isn't part of their lineup of death, but he does start for a reason. When Green plays on the wing, Bogut is their only real rebounder. His passing, picks and veteran savvy are very noticeable, and on the other side of the ball, Bogut is a main reason this team of shooters is well above average defensively.
Harrison Barnes
Barnes was the guy most valued coming out of high school, winning the Morgan Wootten award (top high school senior) and named a pre-season All-American at UNC before he even played a game. Two solid but not amazing college years had him drafted 7th onto this Warriors' team, where he's never been the major offensive threat. Barnes is the prototypical athletic slashing swingman, the kind of player who led most teams in scoring in the 2000's. He has updated his game for the era, transforming into a 39% three point shooter. So often he's the guy who gets buckets when the Splash Brothers' shots aren't falling. However Barnes played badly at the end of this finals, and he's probably the most expendable starting player of this team.
Andre Iguodala
I find Iguodala's story so compelling. Here's a great athlete who'd competed in the dunk contest, a no. 9 overall pick from Arizona who was once the star player with the Philadelphia 76ers. Touted as the AI to replace AI, Iguodala averaged 19.9 points for a mediocre team in 2007-08. Commentators noted though that if Iguodala was your best player, your team could never contend. Amazingly Iguodala may have listened, transforming his game from a volume shooter to an all-around player and defensive stalwart. The Warriors' fortunes really rose when coach Steve Kerr switched Iguodala with Barnes and let him come off the bench. He anchors their reserves, outclassing opposing bench players and his one-on-one defense frustrates great players, from Russell Westbrook to Kevin Durant to LeBron James. Furthermore, I have been so impressed by his incredible passes. A mediocre team has Iguodala as their best player, but a transcendent team has him as a 6th man. When Iguodala replaces Bogut in the lineup, he completes the Death Lineup, the small terrifying group who can all shoot 3's, making them immune to double teams. Iguodala has been so important to this team, and it's been amazing seeing him change from a ball hogging shoot-first guy into the consummate professional.
Shaun Livingston
Livingston's story is a bit like Iguodala's, a once highly-touted star athlete who has found himself as a valuable chess piece on this Warrior's bench. Livingston was the 4th pick of the 2004 draft coming out of high school. I remember the comparisons to Magic Johnson for this 6'7" guy who played point guard with rare court vision. However his story is unique due to his comeback from a gruesome injury. The disastrous landing that took out every joint and ligament in his knee is one of those graphic injuries that requires a viewer discretion warning. He basically missed the next 3 seasons and bounced around the league after that. His place on the Warriors' the last two years as Steph Curry's backup could not be more redeeming. He's had two injury-free seasons making great passes and occasionally stellar plays, participating for the first time in games that matter. When he shines, he looks like a 30 year old athlete who somehow has 12 years of NBA experience, and you forget all about his injury. Who knows if he really could have played like Magic without that injury - he's never even scored more than 25 points in a game - but the way he's overcome setbacks and contribute to this great team is inspiring.
Steve Kerr and Luke Walton
There are other bench players worth mentioning, like Leandro Barbosa, Marreese Speights and Festus Ezeli, but I'm going to skip right to the coaches. It's no coincidence that the greatest 3 point shooting team of all time is coached by two fantastic 3 point shooters. What they've done with this team has affected the whole NBA, with old school philosophies tossed aside in favor of 3 pointers and "stretch fives", centers who can also shoot. The creative play calls that Kerr employs to get Curry open and open up backdoor cuts when defenders overplay the perimeter has been amazing to watch. Above all, I'm impressed with his willingness to stick with the 3, which has always been thought of as a live and die gamble. The 2002-03 Boston Celtics under Jim O'Brien were the first team I ever watched, and they set 3 point records at the time, firing off almost 24 a game. Rodney Rogers and Walter McCarty were early stretch fives. When they were on they could beat great teams, but they only made 36% of their 3's overall and often got blown out when their shots didn't fall. This Warriors team shoots almost 32 3's a game and makes 41.6% of them. Sometimes they are cold and fall way behind in games, but Kerr continues to trust in the game plan. In Game 4 of the Western Conference Semifinals against the Blazers, Steph Curry was 0 for 9 from 3 coming back from injury. I couldn't believe he was still shooting after clearly not having it, but he kept going and caught fire with 4 minutes left in the game. He then scored an astounding 17 points in overtime and the Warriors won.
Kerr and Walton might not have helped Curry become a better shooter - he was always in a league of his own. But behind the scenes they must have done well with players like Barnes, Green, Iguodala, Barbosa and Speights, who almost surely wouldn't be as deadly from long range on other teams. They've shown that optimizing this fundamental skill wins championships. Alas it wasn't enough this year.
Here's a breakdown of the players on the first non-Boston team I've ever cared about, and an ode to why their greatness should not be diminished:
Stephen Curry
When I fantasize about being a superstar basketballer, while being short, I basically imagine being Steph Curry. He has maximized the scoring potential of a 6'3" shooting guard, raising our peak expectations of the position from a Steve Nash or Allen Iverson. Not only is he the best shooter of all time, but he's so much better than the second best, shattering 3 point records in a ruthlessly Ruthian manner. But it's his amazing handle, the way he can get one step away from his defender who knows not to let him shoot, the way he drives to the hoop and makes difficult layups and floaters look automatic, and the flashy passes he delivers when teams overload on him and forget he's a true point guard. He's not perfect - Curry is sloppy, turning it over more than he should, and with his slight build he occasionally gets exposed on defense. But with the way he was overlooked coming out of high school (3 star recruit!), going to the small conference Davidson, and even after scoring all those buckets in college (including 30 to knock out Georgetown) being drafted behind 4 guards, and spraining his ankle 5 times, Stephen Curry has overcome so much. Pablo Torre's article on how all his ankle rehab work has made him better post-injury made me realize just how hard Curry has worked. He is this incredible culmination of a phenomenally coordinated athlete with a naturally great shot and an insane work ethic. Through it all, he's managed a very likable mix of self-confidence and humbleness en route to winning 2 MVPs and becoming everyone's favorite player.
Klay Thompson
If Curry is an otherworldly shooter, Thompson is simply a best-of-this-world shooter. At 6'8", his highlight reel includes some blocks and dunks in addition to all those 3's. To have both these incredible shooters on the same team at the same time defies probability and implies that they've pushed each other to shoot better. They're both also sons of former NBA players and relatively unheralded coming out of high school. Klay was the 11th pick in the 2011 draft. Unlike Curry, who was famous as a freshman, I hadn't heard of Klay until the Warriors were starting to get good. When Klay gets hot, he gets really hot, with an insane record-breaking 37 point 3rd quarter this past year. He probably couldn't lead a team consistently like Curry does, but goodness is he deadly on this team.
Draymond Green
Listed at 6'7", Green somehow spends most of his time playing either the 4 or the 5, and among the Warriors starters, is the only good defender. He's the biggest mouth, the most boisterous, and the one with the biggest chip on his shoulder after getting drafted 35th coming out of Michigan State. He does so many incredible tasks on the court, from quarterbacking the defense to rebounding to incredible passing to making hustle players to draining 3 pointers. He was 2nd in the league with 13 triple doubles in the regular season. While his offensive efficiency is low for this team, Green is such a great glue guy that the Warriors really can't win without him. In some ways he's as unique a player as Curry and as important to the team, even getting 2 second place MVP votes this year.
Andrew Bogut
Do people remember that Andrew Bogut was a #1 overall pick? The Australian who played college ball in Utah was sorely missed in the last 2 Warriors losses. He never really fulfilled #1 pick expectations, but he didn't fail either, peaking at 15.9 points/game and 10.2 rebounds/game and 2.5 blocks/game in 2009-10. His stats look low this year as Bogut doesn't feature much in the Warriors' offense and isn't part of their lineup of death, but he does start for a reason. When Green plays on the wing, Bogut is their only real rebounder. His passing, picks and veteran savvy are very noticeable, and on the other side of the ball, Bogut is a main reason this team of shooters is well above average defensively.
Harrison Barnes
Barnes was the guy most valued coming out of high school, winning the Morgan Wootten award (top high school senior) and named a pre-season All-American at UNC before he even played a game. Two solid but not amazing college years had him drafted 7th onto this Warriors' team, where he's never been the major offensive threat. Barnes is the prototypical athletic slashing swingman, the kind of player who led most teams in scoring in the 2000's. He has updated his game for the era, transforming into a 39% three point shooter. So often he's the guy who gets buckets when the Splash Brothers' shots aren't falling. However Barnes played badly at the end of this finals, and he's probably the most expendable starting player of this team.
Andre Iguodala
I find Iguodala's story so compelling. Here's a great athlete who'd competed in the dunk contest, a no. 9 overall pick from Arizona who was once the star player with the Philadelphia 76ers. Touted as the AI to replace AI, Iguodala averaged 19.9 points for a mediocre team in 2007-08. Commentators noted though that if Iguodala was your best player, your team could never contend. Amazingly Iguodala may have listened, transforming his game from a volume shooter to an all-around player and defensive stalwart. The Warriors' fortunes really rose when coach Steve Kerr switched Iguodala with Barnes and let him come off the bench. He anchors their reserves, outclassing opposing bench players and his one-on-one defense frustrates great players, from Russell Westbrook to Kevin Durant to LeBron James. Furthermore, I have been so impressed by his incredible passes. A mediocre team has Iguodala as their best player, but a transcendent team has him as a 6th man. When Iguodala replaces Bogut in the lineup, he completes the Death Lineup, the small terrifying group who can all shoot 3's, making them immune to double teams. Iguodala has been so important to this team, and it's been amazing seeing him change from a ball hogging shoot-first guy into the consummate professional.
Shaun Livingston
Livingston's story is a bit like Iguodala's, a once highly-touted star athlete who has found himself as a valuable chess piece on this Warrior's bench. Livingston was the 4th pick of the 2004 draft coming out of high school. I remember the comparisons to Magic Johnson for this 6'7" guy who played point guard with rare court vision. However his story is unique due to his comeback from a gruesome injury. The disastrous landing that took out every joint and ligament in his knee is one of those graphic injuries that requires a viewer discretion warning. He basically missed the next 3 seasons and bounced around the league after that. His place on the Warriors' the last two years as Steph Curry's backup could not be more redeeming. He's had two injury-free seasons making great passes and occasionally stellar plays, participating for the first time in games that matter. When he shines, he looks like a 30 year old athlete who somehow has 12 years of NBA experience, and you forget all about his injury. Who knows if he really could have played like Magic without that injury - he's never even scored more than 25 points in a game - but the way he's overcome setbacks and contribute to this great team is inspiring.
Steve Kerr and Luke Walton
There are other bench players worth mentioning, like Leandro Barbosa, Marreese Speights and Festus Ezeli, but I'm going to skip right to the coaches. It's no coincidence that the greatest 3 point shooting team of all time is coached by two fantastic 3 point shooters. What they've done with this team has affected the whole NBA, with old school philosophies tossed aside in favor of 3 pointers and "stretch fives", centers who can also shoot. The creative play calls that Kerr employs to get Curry open and open up backdoor cuts when defenders overplay the perimeter has been amazing to watch. Above all, I'm impressed with his willingness to stick with the 3, which has always been thought of as a live and die gamble. The 2002-03 Boston Celtics under Jim O'Brien were the first team I ever watched, and they set 3 point records at the time, firing off almost 24 a game. Rodney Rogers and Walter McCarty were early stretch fives. When they were on they could beat great teams, but they only made 36% of their 3's overall and often got blown out when their shots didn't fall. This Warriors team shoots almost 32 3's a game and makes 41.6% of them. Sometimes they are cold and fall way behind in games, but Kerr continues to trust in the game plan. In Game 4 of the Western Conference Semifinals against the Blazers, Steph Curry was 0 for 9 from 3 coming back from injury. I couldn't believe he was still shooting after clearly not having it, but he kept going and caught fire with 4 minutes left in the game. He then scored an astounding 17 points in overtime and the Warriors won.
Kerr and Walton might not have helped Curry become a better shooter - he was always in a league of his own. But behind the scenes they must have done well with players like Barnes, Green, Iguodala, Barbosa and Speights, who almost surely wouldn't be as deadly from long range on other teams. They've shown that optimizing this fundamental skill wins championships. Alas it wasn't enough this year.
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