Golden State Warriors: 5 reasons they'll repeat as NBA champions in 2018
2017 NBA Finals
Jun 12, 2017; Oakland, CA, USA; Golden State Warriors players and staff pose with the Larry O'Brien Trophy after defeating the Cleveland Cavaliers in game five of the 2017 NBA Finals at Oracle Arena. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-USA TODAY Sports
Coming off one of the most dominant seasons in NBA history, the Golden State Warriors are the heavy favorites to repeat as champions in 2018.
One year after the most devastating collapse in NBA Finals history, the Golden State Warriors are back on top as NBA champions. Coming off Monday's Game 5 victory at home, the Dubs have secured their fifth title in franchise history, including their second over the last three seasons.
Even after coughing up a 3-1 lead in last year's championship round, the Warriors are already a dynasty thanks to the addition of Kevin Durant — a free agency coup that might not have happened if not for that Finals defeat.
An All-NBA core that already included Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green got even more dangerous, and the 2017 NBA Finals were a perfect representation of how far behind the rest of the league is. An all-time performance from LeBron James was barely enough to put a dent in the Dubs' 16-1 postseason record.
In a 67-win season featuring the winningest playoff run in NBA history, the Warriors were as dominant as you could've expected. They silenced the critics who resented their formation, responding with nearly flawless basketball as KD himself took home Finals MVP honors.
The only way the Warriors could've emerged without legitimate scrutiny was to play like the Goliath people expected. The only way Durant could've emerged unscathed is by carrying the load rather than riding others' coattails. In this playoff run, KD and the Warriors did exactly that.
The question now is when the reign will end, especially as so many key pieces hit free agency this summer. The defending champs have some work to do this offseason, but here's why they're the hands down favorites to repeat as NBA champions in 2018.
Golden State Warriors
Jun 12, 2017; Oakland, CA, USA; Golden State Warriors forward Kevin Durant (35), guard Stephen Curry (30) celebrate with his caught Riley in game five of the 2017 NBA Finals at Oracle Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports
5. Curry and KD aren't going anywhere
Championship or no, this one was pretty much inevitable. Unless the Warriors somehow, against all odds, completely tanked this season and the Kevin Durant experiment was a massive failure both on and off the court, they always stood a pretty good chance of re-signing both Stephen Curry and Kevin Durant this offseason.
After signing a 1+1 deal with the Dubs last summer, KD will most likely exercise his $27.7 million player option to become an unrestricted free agent. Curry, meanwhile, is long overdue for a massive pay raise, after being on a bargain four-year, $44 million deal that made him the best value contract in the NBA.
With the team's two best players hitting free agency, there'd normally be cause for concern. But Curry is a Bay Area legend who can receive a five-year, $205 million "super max" by re-signing with the Dubs — a proposition made even sweeter by winning his second championship in three years.
Stephen Curry says he wants stay with Warriors as free agency looms https://t.co/BJjx6k6jzf pic.twitter.com/pFiBYHVBCS
— Sporting News NBA (@sn_nba) September 28, 2016
Durant, meanwhile, just got his first taste of championship glory as Finals MVP. Fitting in with this high-powered team was a seamless transition and the Warriors are just getting started, since Durant has already said he's not going to be looking elsewhere in free agency.
Like it or not, that four-man core of Curry, KD, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green will be back again next season — and probably for the foreseeable future.
Golden State Warriors
Jun 12, 2017; Oakland, CA, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James (23) reacts against the Golden State Warriors during the first quarter in game five of the 2017 NBA Finals at Oracle Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
4. Cavs and Spurs have limited flexibility
Empires rise and fall in the NBA more quickly than people realize, but looking at the landscape of the league, the two greatest threats to the Golden State Warriors right now — the Cleveland Cavaliers and San Antonio Spurs — have very limited flexibility in how they can close the gap.
For the Cavaliers, they simply need more 3-and-D players to be properly equipped to handle this Western juggernaut. However, they're already up to $125.7 million in guaranteed money for next season, and that's with Kyle Korver, Deron Williams, Derrick Williams and James Jones all being free agents this summer.
That will make it nearly impossible for general manager David Griffin to round out a competent bench, let alone make room for a legitimate difference-maker in free agency — and that's assuming Griffin is even back as GM.
The team's role players aren't likely to fetch a significant return on the trade market either.
Richard Jefferson is old. Channing Frye played a grand total of 11 minutes in the Finals. Iman Shumpert is an absolute catastrophe on the offensive end and his defense is nowhere near good enough to make up for it. Tristan Thompson might have value elsewhere, but not on that bloated $89 million salary that pays a king's ransom for a guy who had one and a half good games in the Finals.
Cleveland's best asset (that could actually be moved, since Kyrie Irving and LeBron James aren't going anywhere) is Kevin Love, but even his value isn't what it once was. Besides, how much could the Cavaliers really upgrade the third member of their Big Three when what they really need is a Big Four?
As for the Spurs, most San Antonio fans are still bitter we never got to see how the rest of the Western Conference Finals played out with a healthy Kawhi Leonard, but the truth is, even if they had stolen Game 1, they were still heavy underdogs in the series.
LaMarcus Aldridge's game has declined at an alarmingly rapid rate, the aging Tony Parker will be out until January with his quadriceps injury and in order to sign a star talent like Chris Paul this summer, the Spurs would have to completely gut their roster depth.
Pau Gasol could singlehandedly gum up the works just by opting into his $16.2 million player option (which is his best move), Patty Mills is an unrestricted free agent, Jonathon Simmons is a restricted free agent and as great as Kawhi Leonard is, he's not beating this Warriors team by himself.
The Spurs and Cavaliers will be elite teams again next season, but barring some sort of dramatic, unforeseen roster changes, they'll remain a tier below Golden State.
Golden State Warriors
Jun 12, 2017; Oakland, CA, USA; Golden State Warriors forward Kevin Durant (35) celebrates after winning the NBA Fianls MVP in game five of the 2017 NBA Finals at Oracle Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports
3. KD might take less than the max
The bad news gets worse for the rest of the league. Curry and KD re-signing is frightening enough as it is, but the one glimmer of hope was that Golden State wouldn't be able to retain its two superstars AND bring back integral bench pieces like Andre Iguodala and Shaun Livingston.
It's also worth mentioning that Zaza Pachulia, Ian Clark, JaVale McGee, David West and Matt Barnes all come off the books this summer too.
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Iggy and Livingston are the vital pieces that need to return for the reign to continue, but according to ESPN's Ramona Shelburne and Chris Haynes, that could be a legitimate possibility if Kevin Durant is truly willing to take less than a max deal.
The max that KD could receive from the Warriors would see his salary start at $35.4 million a year, but such a deal would require the defending champs to renounce the rights to both Iguodala and Livingston to clear enough room. But if he's willing to take less than the max, the Dubs would not need to renounce the rights to any of their impending free agents.
Per ESPN, if Durant took another 1+1 deal worth $4 million less than the max, and waited another year for a long-term extension, the Dubs could use their Bird Rights to re-sign Iggy and Livingston to deals comparable to what they'd command on the open market.
Both players would likely have to sacrifice a bit to keep the band together, and perhaps after winning two titles in three seasons, they're ready for a legitimate payday and the next chapter of their NBA journey. However, these guys genuinely enjoy playing together, and if the Dubs are willing to dive that far into the luxury tax to keep a dynasty together, that's a hard proposition to turn down.
Golden State Warriors
Jun 12, 2017; Oakland, CA, USA; Golden State Warriors center Zaza Pachulia (27) reacts against the Cleveland Cavaliers during the first quarter in game five of the 2017 NBA Finals at Oracle Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
2. The rest of the role players are replaceable
If Kevin Durant re-signs for less than the max and the Warriors are able to bring back both Iguodala and Livingston (or even just one of those two), they'll have the best four-, five- and six-man core in the NBA.
At that point, it really doesn't matter what happens to the rest of the team's bench depth.
After playing on a $2.9 million deal well below market value, Zaza Pachulia could seek a raise elsewhere. But he was awful in the Finals, and even if the prospect of competing for more championships doesn't outweigh a potential pay day with a new team, the Dubs can find a serviceable replacement willing to take a discount to join a contender.
JaVale McGee was a great bench piece during the regular season, but became more difficult to play in the Finals when the Cavs punished his pick-and-roll coverage. He's earned a raise on the open market, but after being closer to irrelevance for so long, perhaps he'd consider sticking around.
Ian Clark will likely leave after playing his way out of the Warriors' price range, but even his 37.4 percent three-point shooting is replaceable. David West has been a nice veteran presence, and after sacrificing so much money to "ring chase," can you really see him leaving a championship roster for anything other than retirement?
This is what sports are all about, man. David West, NBA champion pic.twitter.com/CAS1nmnybk
— Shane Young (@YoungNBA) June 13, 2017
Matt Barnes was a nice piece for insurance purposes, but didn't really serve much of a role in the team's postseason run. Maybe he'll stick around on a minimum contract since he's always enjoyed playing in Golden State, but he neither makes nor breaks the Warriors' bench.
If the Dubs keep Iggy and Livingston, they'll still be able to round out the roster with serviceable veterans on minimum contracts. When you're coming off one of the greatest seasons in NBA history, it's a lot easier to convince people to take discounts in order to compete for more titles.
Golden State Warriors
Jun 12, 2017; Oakland, CA, USA; Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) celebrates with forward Draymond Green (23) in the fourth quarter against the Cleveland Cavaliers in game five of the 2017 NBA Finals at Oracle Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
1. 2017 was just the breakthrough
The 2017 NBA Finals featured a changing of the guard. Though LeBron James has lost his fair share of championship series before, it still felt like the association belonged to him for the last decade.
When Kevin Durant hit that dagger three-pointer over the King in Game 3 of this year's Finals, it was something of a changing of the guard.
The Cavs had taken the 2016 series, but with Kevin Durant in tow, there would be no coughing up a 3-1 lead this time around. Even before the Warriors had a 3-1 lead in this series, KD's shot over LeBron made that message loud and clear.
It may wind up being the play we look back on as the moment that ushered in a new era.
KEVIN. DURANT. @warriors: 116@cavs: 113
12 seconds to play in Game 3. CLE ???? pic.twitter.com/47VReSvRcC
— NBA (@NBA) June 8, 2017
To be clear, no one is saying that KD is better than LeBron in a vacuum. But basketball isn't played within a vacuum, and with LeBron turning 33 in December and Durant now firmly entrenched with this already dangerous core, the Golden State Warriors are an established dynasty.
The 2017 NBA Finals were just the beginning. They were the initial breakthrough that could signal the end of the King's reign. Golden State's four-man core will be in its prime for the next 3-5 years. Will LeBron really be able to play at a high enough level to challenge them through age 35-37?
The rest of the league will eventually catch up. Young phenoms will enter the league, superstars will join forces as a direct response to this Warriors Death Star and like all great NBA empires, this one will eventually fall.
But barring injury, the Warriors will be the golden standard for the next 3-5 years. The Dubs won 67 games and went 16-1 in the playoffs in a season where Durant missed 20 games. After taking some time to get used to playing with one another, this team could be even better next year. The 2017 title was only the beginning.
