24 Thoughts on the Warriors 24-game win streak

Here's the WarrirsWorld version.

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Golden State began the 2015-2016 season betting on personnel continuity and an added year of experience in head coach Steve Kerr’s quick-reaction, pass-heavy offense. While championship contenders like the Spurs spent the early season incorporating new players into an evolving offense and the Cavs struggled to find quality rotations in the wake of injuries, the Warriors were able to rely on a lineup featuring 12 players from their championship roster, including nine rotation regulars.

That familiarity paid off as Golden State dominated the first 30 percent of their schedule. Led by the slight-of-hand wizardry of Stephen Curry and buoyed by contributions from a deep and talented roster, the Warriors jumped out to an historic 24-0 record, drubbing opponents by an average of 13.6 points a night and making every game appointment TV in the process.

In recognition of the record 24 consecutive victories to start the season, here are 24 thoughts on the streak, the players and the Warriors going forward:

1. In a preseason forecast, a panel of ESPN contributors ranked Stephen Curry fifth for league MVP.
   After less than a week of regular season games, as he began his meteoric rise, the pervasive question became “Is Steph the best player in the NBA?” A couple of weeks after that, the narrative changed to “Curry is definitely the best player in the world.” Now Jason Kidd is calling Steph this generation’s Michael Jordan. Who knows where this conversation will be by season’s end. Curry has increased his scoring average by an astounding 9 points per game from his MVP season. His 33.7 PER would be the greatest of all time if the season ended today and he is set to break his own record of 286 made-threes in a season by 130. This is n0t MVP-level play- this is once-in-a-generation stuff. Just like there has never been another MJ or another Magic or another Kareem, there is not going to be another Stephen Curry. He is small, slightly built and relies more on skills than athleticism so it is easy to conclude that what he is doing is replicable, but I would argue it is more likely that another elite scoring 2-guard will enter the league before we see another offensive player that can terrify a defense as soon as he crosses half court. After all, we have seen a decent Jordan facsimile in Kobe Bryant, but who is Steph’s closest comp? Steve Nash? Damian Lillard? Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf? Steph’s repertoire of ball-handling, on-the-ball and off-the-ball shooting, floaters, drives, passing, and basketball IQ trumps everyone before or after him. Plus, he scores at an incredible volume efficiently and on a consistent basis. There have been accurate shooters, willing passers, deft ball handlers and MVP point guards before but no one has ever mastered all those skills and unleashed it on a nightly basis. Steph’s play is not a revolution in the game or a trend for the future; it will not be duplicated. He is in the rarefied air of a Tiger Woods at his peak. When it’s over, it’s over. There won't be seconds. Enjoy the Steph Curry Show while it lasts.
2. At one point during the 2014-15 season, there were as many as eight legitimate contenders for the NBA crown. The league this year is less balanced with the Warriors, Cavs and Spurs as prohibitive favorites and the Thunder lurking a tier below as Kevin Durant works through injuries. If Golden State can hang onto the top seed, they will likely only have to face two of the three to win another championship.
3. The Warriors can drop their next two games and still be on pace to match the ’96 Bulls with 72 wins.
4. There are preseason prognostications and then there is what Twitter Nostradamus @Nai_Roy had to say back in October.
5. There were five games during the streak that the Warriors could have lost and maybe should have lost: Overtime versus the Nets where Brooke Lopez missed a bunny in regulation. The next game when Kyle Lowry committed a costly illegal screen. The Clippers’ collapse. The Raptors again. And the 2 OT game in Boston that took every ounce of energy the Warriors had to win. Going 5-0 in those 50-50 games bodes well for the playoffs when execution becomes paramount.
6. Another way to look at that: In their first 24 games, the Warriors were only challenged five times.
7. The Dubs win so many games in part because their second unit wears down even the deepest teams. It functions like 48 minutes of continual drilling, eventually a fissure springs and the opponent cracks under the pressure. Off the bench, Festus Ezeli brings offensive rebounding, well-timed blocks and athletic rim-runs; Shaun Livingston provides a steadying hand and chips in points off turnaround jumpers and the occasional where-did-that-come-from two-handed jam; and Andre Iguodala’s heady play-making and always excellent defense is Luke Walton’s security blanket for when the Warriors face a scary few minutes of scattered play…
8. …but similar to last year, the bench lacks a consistent offensive punch. When Mo Buckets’ shot cannot find the net and Leandro Barbosa is not scoring on open threes or in transition, the subs struggle to maintain leads. It is a rich team’s problem to be sure but the Dubs could use reliable scoring from Speights, Jason Thompson, B-Rush or Ian Clark for 8 minutes a game when Curry and Green sit.
9. Which grew more over the first 25 games of the season, Festus Ezeli’s game or Festus Ezeli’s future bank account?
10. Is it time to start up the Bogut-Ezeli center controversy? Bogut is a skilled and savvy veteran but Ezeli’s athleticism creates a bigger target for the first team’s passers and his lobtastic synergy with Green forces one more worry onto opposing defenses. Throw in Bogut’s potential play-making on a less-than-potent second unit (as evidenced by the 2 points in 5 minutes during the Bucks game) and the same argument used to have Iguodala come off the bench could be asserted for Ezeli’s ascension into the starting unit.
11. The Death Lineup is not very deathly without Harrison Barnes. Livingston is a fine player but when he is the fifth man in the Green-at-center lineup, the court gets cloggy and the defense is more susceptible to low post scores by opposing bigs.
12. Players we saw during the streak that have improved their games: Avery Bradley, Brandon Knight, Kyle Lowry, Andre Drummond, Jimmy Butler, Rajon Rondo, Derrick Favors, Paul George and Nicolas Batum.
13. Players we saw that might not be long for the NBA: Joe Johnson, Tony Allen (it pains me to include him but at 33-years-old and slipping on D, his offensive liability makes him almost unplayable against elite teams. The Warriors throwing Bogut on him in last year’s playoff might have killed his career), Steve Blake, Paul Pierce and Joe Johnson again.
14. Everyone goes full throttle against the Warriors. This was never more apparent than when OJ I-couldn’t-bother-to-stay-in-shape-last-year Mayo gave the Warriors 18 aggressive points and a spirited defensive effort. I’m not sure which surprised me more: OJ Mayo not being fat any more or OJ Mayo trying hard in 2015.
15. As of writing, the Warriors lead the league in assists by a mile at 28.6 per game. The difference between them and the Spurs in second is the same as the difference between second place and the Hornets in 15th. Most NBA players shoot better on the catch than they do trying to create one-on-one. The Warriors’ ability to ping the ball around the court helps the offense avoid long spells of poor shooting. This is another reason why Charles Barkley calling the Warriors a “jump-shooting team” was such a reductive conclusion. They are a passing, jump-shooting team with fantastic defense.
16. Asked when he realized the streak was over, Curry answered for Green saying, “when coach subbed us out” (of the Bucks game). That is when I reached the same conclusion. The 24-game streak made me forget that it is possible for the Warriors to lose. Like watching a zombie TV show, I just assumed our heroes would be able to survive any impending doom. Even down 11 with a minute left I thought they would pull it out. If Glen could survive a horde of hungry walkers, why couldn’t the Warriors outlast a few deer?
17. After finishing last season first in defensive efficiency, the Warriors have slipped to fifth place this year. I do not think the team has gotten worse on defense, rather the bench unit has dragged the numbers down in extended minutes during blowouts, HB’s injury has shelved the ferocious small-ball lineup and there were some tired legs on the long road trip. When needed, the Warriors can still flip the defensive switch for a few intense minutes of frenetic D, as they showed in the epic comeback versus the Clippers.
18. If you are hoping for another double-digit win-streak, the Warriors play OKC, San Antonio and Cleveland a combined nine times in the final 3+ months of the season.
19. Draymond said the Warriors stopped improving during the streak. Injuries, the interminable road trip, media hype, whatever the case, the 24-1 Warriors have at least one deficiency worth addressing: they are 24th in turnover ratio.
20. Watching this team has completely ruined my appetite for other NBA games. When I watch other teams, I spend half the time wondering, “Why doesn’t the point guard just pull up from 28 feet?” “How come this defense is so porous?” “Why doesn’t the bench jump out to celebrate at half-court?” The Warriors being the Kobe beef of basketball makes everything else taste like tofu.
21. Oh yeah, Steve Kerr is out. I almost forgot that the captain of the ship is still on leave.
22. Lost in all the Curry talk is that the Warriors are quietly becoming downright Spursian in the ability to develop young talent. They helped Klay, a late lottery pick, become an All-Star. Draymond has become a nightly triple-double threat and will likely make his first All-Star appearance. Festus has career highs in points, blocks and rebounds. And HB has blossomed into the ideal forward, able to toggle between the three and four positions in the modern NBA. Even with the salary cap about to skyrocket, it’s essential for the Warriors to supplement the roster with players on cheap contracts who develop into rotation cogs. If recent history is predictive of future success, James McAdoo and Kevon Looney should be contributing soon.
23. Meanwhile the Spurs have a historically good 12.2 point differential, the Cavs will get Kyrie Irving back soon and the Thunder has won 9 of 11.
24. Before the season, I bet a few buddies that the Warriors would repeat as champions and that Steph would take home another MVP trophy. 25 games into the season, my wager, like the streaking Warriors, looks like it can't lose.

Warriors Rewind: 10 Thoughts on Warriors 95, Bucks 108

The Golden State Warriors are not going to finish the season 82-0. Playing on the second night of a back-to-back, the Dubs clearly looked fatigued as they missed shots short and ran the court like they needed a warm bath and a long nap. The usual intense burst of energy never materialized as the Warriors shot 40% from the field, 23% from threes and coughed up the ball 16 times. That said, give the Bucks credit. The franchise that stopped the Lakers’ win streak of 33 games in 1972 came out with tremendous effort and took this game. The Warriors now head home to Oakland with their first loss of the season but get a chance to sleep on a long flight, rest, and dream of more wins to come.

Here are 10 thoughts from the game:

1. Stephen Curry shot 2-8 from threes. Klay Thompson missed everything short. Bench players not named Festus Ezeli provided 10 points total. Andre Iguodala was 1-9 from the field. The frenetic small-ball lineup looked tiny and slow. The Warriors were clearly exhausted. After a double-OT game less than 24 hours before, and on the final game of a 7-game road trip, Golden State did not have anything in the tank for a final push. Greg Monroe, Jabari Parker, the Greak Freak and OJ Mayo gave the Dubs their best shot and forced the 13-point victory.
2. Klay’s flagrant-1 foul seemed to give the Warriors a bit of life in the third. The Dubs went from down 12 to down only three by the end of the quarter. However, to start the fourth, Luke Walton went with a lineup of Ezeli, Jason Thompson, Iguodala, Livingston and Barbosa. As you would expect, the unit could not score in the clogged half-court and managed only two points in five minutes. The game was effectively out of reach after that.
3. A 6-1 road trip and 24-1 overall record should not be disappointing even if this loss is. For some perspective: from 1997-2002, the Warriors did not win 24 games in an entire season a single time. Golden State went 97-281 those five seasons.
4. With less than a minute left in the first quarter, Curry threw the ball full court to Draymond Green for a layup. More than for an easy score, I thought maybe Steph just did not want to run the floor.
5. You know the team is tired when even Draymond is gassed. He had a solid 24 points, 11 boards and 5 assists, but with 2:41 left in the game and the Warriors trying desperately to make a run, Monroe spun right shoulder for a layup and Dray never even moved except for a last-second reach-in foul.
6. Michael Carter-Williams had a strong game. He finished with 17 points, 5 assists and a game-high plus-22. After watching this game and remembering his promising rookie year, you would think his career is on its way up. But inexplicably he is coming off the bench and averaging only 10 points, 5.4 assists, and 3.6 rebounds in 28 minutes a game, all career lows. What is going on here? Did Sam Hinkie know something we didn’t when he traded MCW? His Philadelphia squad might not be a real NBA basketball team but Hinkie continues to pull off great trades (the 76ers get the Lakers’ top-3 protected pick). MCW is only 24 years old and his coach is a former All-NBA point guard so there is time left.
7. Shaun Livingston guarding MCW was the NBA future that never happened. I used to love watching tall point guards like Magic, Penny and Jalen Rose passing over the top of regular-sized guards. In the late ’90s I thought we would see a slew of them enter the league. Never happened.
8. If you had to draft NBA jerseys, which team’s uni would come in second behind the Warriors Bay Bridge adorned perfection? Milwaukee’s home white is in the mix, right? The blue stripe just under the arm (a shout out to Wisconsin’s many bodies of water) takes the whole look up another level. In last place, I’m pretty sure the Clippers’ Nokia Snake Gamejerseys and the Hawks’ Exploded Highlighters effect would battle it out.
9. An entire Milwaukee section wore “24-1” t-shirts to the game. That’s how you trash talk the Warriors these days.
10. 82-0 is no longer a possibility but 81-1 is still alive. Go Dubs!

Warriors Rewind: 10 Thoughts on Warriors 124, Celtics 119

Golden State survived this game more than they won it. Double overtime. Short two starters. The sixth game of a seven game road trip. Against a well-coached, quality opponent  This game had all the makings of a forgettable loss but the Warriors, as they have all season, played like champs down the stretch and were able to pull out a victory in a fun, well-played game. The perfect season rolls on. Next stop: Milwaukee. And a chance for 25-0.

Here are 10 thoughts from the game:

1. Stephen Curry got 38 points but Boston’s defense got the better of him on this night. Steph was visibly frustrated- he stepped out of bounds three times, harkening back to terrible memories of Mickael Pietrus’ habitual line-stepping in the minds of all scarred Warriors fans. Avery Bradley and Evan Turner defended Curry one-on-one about as well as anyone has all season, hounding the MVP in to 9-27 shooting and a season high eight turnovers.  On Curry double teams, the Celtics were able to scramble and shut off Draymond Green passes for open shooters. Fantastic game plan by Brad Stevens.
2. Draymond Green is an All-Star. That much is obvious. But this game showed why Klay Thompson deserves consideration for the team as well. Without Klay’s gravity to pull defenders with him at all times, the Celtics had a much easier task of both doubling Curry and clogging the lane to thwart drives and lobs for dunks, a hallmark of the Warriors offense all season.
3. After Klay hurt his ankle, Shuan Livingston explained the injury saying, “that’s on the second unit. That was my fault. I take it personal.” Those were not empty platitudes. Livingston played like a man out for redemption. He had a season-high 35 minutes and threw up a 12/3/3 with two blocks including a superhero swat on an Isiah Thomas jumper that forced the first overtime.
4. Brad Stevens, with that boyish face and no neck tie, looks more like a cool high school English teacher than NBA coach. Maybe he’s a cool NBA coach: twice he could have called a time out to set up a final play in regulation and the first overtime but both times he elected to let his players freestyle the last shot. As much as I love basketball, I certainly do not need to sit through three more minutes of commercials.
5. In the second quarter, Bradley, who had been playing lights out (6-7 shooting for 15 points along with swarming D), drops back to the three-point line to wait for Curry on defense. For a split second, Bradley positioned himself like he would for any other guard in the league. Unfortunately for him, Curry is not any other guard and nails a 28-footer. Avery Bradley does not wait at the three-point line the rest of the game.
6. My buddies from Boston love Tommy Heinsohn. They realize he is a big time homer but he is their big time homer. Watching the Celtics’ telecast, the one time Heinsohn went silent was when the replay showed Curry picking up his fourth foul despite being nowhere near the play. I think Tommy’s silence is his way of admitting a poor call against an opponent. Kind of like the way my immigrant grandfather apologizes. No actual words, just silence.
7. Andrew Bogut got a charge call defending Isaiah Thomas. Thomas is 5’9″. I’m not a fan of former players calling today’s NBA soft but sometimes those old guys shaking their fists have a point.
8. In the first half, David Lee and Marreese Speights got time defending each other one-one-one. I am liberal in my use of the word “defended.” This was easily my favorite part of a two overtime game because anything could have happened in those few minutes [Editor’s Note– Besides defense, of course]. Both guys falling over on defense. Both guys somehow scoring on the same play. Sometimes it is nice see what basketball in the ’80s looked like.
9. After Lee threw the ball straight to Draymond on his first pass of the game and then followed that up by missing two consecutive shots, my buddy from Boston sent me this text, “Does DLee think he still plays for the Warriors? He’s killing us on D AND O.” It would seem Celtics fans are quick on the uptake.
10. Great players play great when their team needs it. Without Klay and Barnes tonight, Draymond knew he would have to score more. He dropped 24 points — 11 more than his average — along with 11 boards, 8 assists, and 10 combined blocks and steals. In a vacuum, Green may not be top-10 good as Jerry West asserts, but on this team, I cannot think of another forward that can do everything he can. Blake cannot defend like him. Leonard does not pass like him. AD maybe? Since basketball is not played in a vacuum, maybe West is right. Maybe Draymond is a top-10 player. What a wonderful Warriors World we live in.

Warriors Rewind: 10 Thoughts on Warriors 131, Pacers 123

(Photo: Joe Robbins, Getty Images)

Here's the WarriorsWorld version.

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It wasn't supposed to be this easy. The Warriors were playing the fifth game of a seven game road trip, their third contest in four nights. They were supposed to be tired; they weren't supposed to go up by 32 points. Their opponent had the fourth best record in the East and an MVP candidate of their own. This game should've been more competitive. Yet, it wasn't. Buoyed by a Klay Thompson offensive explosion, Golden State dismantled Indiana to improve their record to 23-0. Up next: The David Lee Reunion game.

Here are 10 thoughts from the game:

1. Indiana came out on fire. Paul George had 8 quick points and the Pacers were hitting everything to go up 21-15 early. But just as the fans at the Fieldhouse started to dream the improbable, the inevitable happened. Golden State went on a 22-0 run behind blistering shooting from Klay Thompson who had 11 points in the game's first 7 minutes. Thompson finished with 39 points, 7 boards, 6 assists and 10-16 from long-range. He was so hot I barely noticed Steph's 29 points. The Warriors had to hang on late, but the outcome was never in doubt.
2. Monta Ellis had a line that Warriors fans are all too familiar with: 9 points on 4-11 shooting with 6 turnovers for a minus-4 in a losing effort...
3. ...but I'll always appreciate Monta's time with the Warriors. Sure, there were some dicey moments, but that doesn't diminish all the good times. You can't blame him for some of the things that happened under the Cohan-Rowell leadership. Now every time I see Monta play the Warriors, it's like bumping into an ex-girlfriend that you parted ways with amicably. After the awkward meeting, you just hope the person is doing well and that you don't run into them too often.
4. Curry must find regular lobs too easy. Look at this guy.
5. Paul George isn't just back, he's new and improved. After taking a mini All-Star leap two years ago, PG-13 has taken THE leap and forced himself into the "best small forward in the league" conversation. He may not be number one, but with averages of 27, 8, 4, 45% from the field and threes (all career highs) and standout defense, he's at least knocking on Lebron's door. He was ubiquitous in this game (33 points, 8 rebounds, 6 assists, 4 combined steals and blocks). If not for Stephen Curry's complete takeover of the NBA, George's MVP-level play would be a much bigger story. 
6. Remember when the Pacers were predicted to have a losing season? Indiana lost David West and gave away Roy Hibbert before the year. Yet they're right in the thick of the much-improved East, half a game behind first-place Miami (prior to the game). The Pacers plucked George with the tenth pick in the 2010 draft, helped develop him into an elite player and surrounded him with quality teammates. Good coaching and a good front office: why can't some teams get this right? 
7. Curry may not be the strongest defender, but he slides his feet well one-on-one and his lightning quick hands gets steals (2.2 a game) and jams up opponents. In the first quarter, he knocked the ball loose on back-to-back possessions from Monta and Rodney Stuckey. 
8. Andrew Bogut looks to be moving much better. He finished with 14 and 10 and had a couple of nice blocks. He had a game high plus-31.
9. Warriors shooting guards old and new: 6:00 left in the third, Klay hits a three. Monta races up the court for a mid-range jumper that clanks. Klay gets the ball again for another three-point swish. 6-0 run.
10. The only thing that managed to cool Klay off was a rolled ankle late in the fourth. The x-rays were negative and he said he should be fine in "a couple of days." Hopefully his prognostication is as accurate as his shooting.

Warriors Roundup: Warriors news from around the league

The links are in bold. Can't underline the word for whatever reason.

- Ann Killion of the San Francisco Chronicle thinks it's time the Warriors lost a game.

- Matt Steinmetz recounts the glorious days of Monta and Curry. (Sarcasm.)

- Andre Iguodala made some "jokes" to ESPN. 

- Stephen Curry gets more deodorant.

- USA TODAY compares the scoring prowess of Curry and Kobe Bryant.

Warriors Rewind: 10 Thoughts on Warriors 114, Nets 98

As usual, you can find all my contributions to Warriorsworld.net here.

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(Photo: Noah K. Murray, USA TODAY Sports)

No team in the history of the NBA has ever had a 7-0 road trip. The Warriors almost made history two seasons ago but lost to the Nets in Brooklyn in their final game to settle for a 6-1 trip. After beating a spirited Nets team on Sunday, Golden State gets another chance at the record books this year. If they happen to drop a game to the Pacers, Bucks, or Celtics this week, 22-0 is a pretty good consolation prize.

Here are 10 thoughts from the game:

1) The Nets made the Warriors earn this win. After taking the Dubs to overtime in Oakland, Brooklyn again showed their resiliency. They overcame a 17-point first-half deficit and took a five point lead in the third quarter. But then, with about 6:00 left in the quarter, and the Nets playing with all the momentum, the Curry Flurry happened. Steph had 16 in the period, capped by a final 4:12 where he hit for 14 points on a couple of ridiculous, but usual-for-him, threes. And he threw in a well-timed lob for a monster Festus Ezeli jam for good measure. Just like that and the Warriors were back in control.

2) The bench unit came in and played an outstanding fourth quarter. They turned a 7-point lead into a 20-point cushion, allowing the starters ample rest in the final period on the second half of a back-to-back. Four of the top five plus-minus numbers came from the subs.

3) The Warriors may not match the ’96 Bulls with 72 wins, but they’ve already matched them in popularity in road arenas. Curry got loud cheers for pulling in the game’s first rebound, and when Klay hit his first two three-pointers, the ovation sounded like a home game.

4) On an evening where Andrew Bogut looked a half step slow playing with back spasms, Festus gave the Warriors 20 fantastic Swagzeli minutes. His play changed the tenor of the game defensively. He thwarted drivers in the lane (4 blocks) and added 12 timely points when the game was still close. Not sure I’ve ever seen this before, but he had the team’s highest plus-minus at plus-20.

5) Steph missed three free throws in a row. He hadn’t missed that many free throws in a single game in 137 contests. Even when he does something bad it’s amazing. That’s almost two years without missing three free throws in the same game.

6) In the fourth, the Warriors got a delay of game warning for jumping out on the court to celebrate the bench unit breaking open the game. What a fun team. The only way to stop their joy is with a penalty.

7) It must be mentally taxing to guard the Splash Brothers. Defenders have to forget everything they’ve ever learned about basketball and stick with Klay and Steph regardless of the play unfolding on the court. At 4:09in the third, Larkin and Brown both ran with the cutter Klay, accidentally leaving Curry all alone at the arc. One little slip up like that and all of a sudden Brooklyn’s 3-point lead vanishes with the flick of Steph’s wrist.

8) Did anyone else see the curious video of Nets owner Mikhail Prokhorov at their practice facility showing off his pushups drills? The looks the players had were the same as the face my niece makes when my brother makes a lame dad-joke. Ok, old man, I’m going to play along and smile since you pay the bills, but in no way do I think this is cool.

9) Injury watch: Harrison Barnes did some light stationery drills before the game. He’s to be
reevaluated next Sunday. Come back and soar with us soon, Falcon!

10) Curry is to other NBA superstars what In ‘N Out is to other fast food burgers. With the Warriors up 20 in the final minutes of the game, and Steph still on the court, the fans stayed glued in their seats hoping to see a little more magic. This was a game in Brooklyn. Heat fans left early in the fourth quarter of Lebron’s final home game in Miami hoping to beat the traffic.

Warriors Rewind: 10 Thoughts on Warriors 112, Raptors 109

(Photo: Dan Hamilton, USA TODAY Sports)

Stephen Curry must have really gotten to know the rims in Air Canada Center as a kid when Dell was playing for Toronto. The reigning MVP had 44 points on 24 shots, with a slew of clutch baskets in crunch time. Is it hyperbolic to say there are not enough words in the English language to describe what Curry and the Warriors are doing to the NBA right now? Are ooh and aahs considered words? That’s all anyone can say watching this team. 21-0 is beyond language.

Here are 10 thoughts from the game:

1) Curry had his seventh 40-point game of the season. The rest of the league has 15 (as of writing). Despite Kyle Lowry playing the game of his life (41 points, 7 assist) the Warriors managed to beat a tenacious Raptors squad on the road. This team and this streak and this lights-out shooting is getting ridiculous.

2) Toronto GM, Masai Ujiri gives lots of fun quotes. Before yesterday’s game he told Jim Rome the key to stopping the Warriors was to pray to God. I think he was joking, but after Steph’s 9-15 shooting from threes, maybe not. Maybe diving intervention is the only legitimate strategy.

3) The Dubs are a little more vulnerable without Harrison Barnes. His scoring and ability to spread the floor is definitely missed, but more importantly, without HB, the small-ball lineup isn’t quite as effective. The 6’8″ ‘Barnes keeps the team big while going small, and he’s a much better shooter than Livingston.

4) Draymond Green’s 3-point percentage has come back down to earth after a blistering start. He’s 0-14 from distance in his last four games and defenses have stopped running out at him. But if he can keep up his current 38% for the season, that’ll be more than enough from the four spot.

5) My favorite three-pointer is the Chaos Three. When everything is helter-skelter, the Dubs always seem to get a big basket. At 8:59 in the first, Lowry gets his hand on the ball for an apparent steal, but the ball bobbles around before finding it’s way to Curry — left open in the scramble — who calmly sinks a three.

6) Cory Joseph has good body control. He had a couple of nice, strong drives, and a well-balanced jump-stop floater. How much of his $30 million contract should he donate to Spurs University and professor Tony Parker.

7) Did DeMarre Carroll foul Festus on purpose to prevent Klay from getting a wide open three in the third quarter? The foul meant side out of bounds as the Raptors weren’t in the penalty (Klay hit the shot after the whistle). Would you rather have a Klay or Curry open three-pointer or a foul? Can this become a strategy for opposing defenses?

8) Someone (Dwane Casey?) should tell DeMar DeRozan that getting Draymond on a switch and going one-on-one isn’t an advantage.

9) Marreese Speights’ poor defense really stands out on this Warriors squad. He got caught repeatedly in no man’s land, reaching for the ball while Raptors drove in the lane for layups and lobs. When his shot’s not falling (1-4 FG) and he’s turning the ball over (4), it’s really hard to justify his minutes, even sans Barnes. He finished with a team low minus-12. But I’m still holding out hope that contract-year Speights is going to have his moment.

10) With Drake in attendance, Stephen Curry did his Hotline Bling out there. That dance we’ve never seen before, the confidence and skill to pull it off, it’s performance art at the highest level. Someone put the highlights online for the world to see.

Warriors Rewind: 10 Thoughts on Warriors 116, Hornets 99

(Photo: Sam Share, USA TODAY Sports)

Stephen Curry wasn’t going to lose his annual homecoming game. Not with his dad in the announcing booth and not with his family and friends cheering his every move. The point guard from Charlotte put on an amazing display of shooting that propelled the Warriors to 20-0. The Golden State freight train rolls on through December.

Here are 10 thoughts from the game:

1) On a night to honor his father, Dell Curry, Stephen Curry put on a show of his own. Curry scored 40 points on a bevy of increasingly ridiculous shots missing only 4 times in 18 attempts. Steph ended the third with a 32-foot make that gave him 28 points for the quarter and had me feeling bad for Kemba Walker (2-16 FG while chasing the MVP). Maybe the Hornets should’ve had Dell Curry Night when the other Curry, Seth, was in town with the Kings.

2) The backcourt got off to a hot start. Klay Thompson hit 5 of his first 6 shots for 13 points, and Steph hit back-to-back threes in the first five minutes of action. When the planets align and the Splash Brothers both have it going at the same time, I’m not sure there’s anything more entertaining in sports.

3) To duplicate the Bulls’ 72 wins, the 20-0 Warriors will have to go 52-10 the rest of the season. Prior to last season, the Dubs had won more than 52 games in an entire season twice, the last time in 1991-92 when Billy Owens was running the break for Nellie. 52 wins is a lot; it might take the 76ers until 2018 to amass 52 wins.

4) Al Jefferson missed the game due to a strained calf. Too bad. I wanted to see the Warriors Death Squad against Big Al and a Hornets team that lacks consistent three-point shooting (9-31 last night). How would Charlotte get him the rock if the small-ball Warriors hedge off Hornet shooters to semi-double the big man in the post?

5) Jeremy Lin’s Dragon Ball hairstyle is out of control — but also fun!

6) Quintessential Draymond Green play: 8:50 left in the first, Dray blocks Walker from behind. He gets the pass from Bogut, brings the ball up court himself, drives into the lane to attract the defender, sees Rush open in the corner, pass aaaaaand … SPLASH! Three points only a handful of players in the league could have created.

7) Tyler Hansbrough reminds me of that player at pick-up that scares everyone with his unpredictable body movements. I’m always worried that guy is going to run under me and break my knee.

8) Curry as a back screener is a fun play the Warriors like to use on out-of-bounds under the basket. Because Steph’s man can’t leave his body ever, a Warriors player is often free to roam towards the basket off the screen. The play got Brandon Rush an easy dunk in the third.

9) Frank Kamisky (16 points) may turn out to be a good pro, but I would’ve taken Justise Winslow in the draft. His pedigree, the championship at Duke, even the clips on Youtube, Winslow just has the look of a good NBA player. At the very least he’s going to be a versatile defender in a league that increasingly relies on 3-and-D wings. The shooting isn’t there yet (27% on threes), but he’s already a plus-minus hero. If not Winslow, then Boston’s reported treasure trove of picks would’ve been nice for the ninth pick. Maybe Charlotte knows something we don’t; it’ll be interesting to revisit this in three years.

10) Luke Walton won Coach of the Month honors in the West with the same coaching record we all have, 0-0. Walton has done a fantastic job. It’ll be bittersweet when he’s eventually hired away by another team. But that’s a good thing too; getting talent poached means your team is winning.

Warriors Rewind: 10 Thoughts on Warriors 106, Jazz 103

(Photo: Russ Isabella, USA TODAY Sports)

How do we measure greatness on a basketball court? Is it a player’s ability to score points consistently throughout a game? Or is it being able to make a clutch shot when the defense is set up entirely to force a miss? Stephen Curry shook off a slow 7-point first half to hit a slew of ice-cold daggers on the Jazz. The timely shots helped undefeated Golden State secure their 19th win of the season. 19-0. Maybe that’s how we measure greatness. 

Here are 10 thoughts from the game:

1) When the Warriors jumped out to a 21-2 record last season, head coach and former Bull Steve Kerr quickly squashed any talk of matching the 72-win Chicago club. His reasoning: “We had this guy named Michael Jordan on the team … What I remember that year is there were about 10 games where Michael just decided, ‘We’re going to win.'” Stephen Curry isn’t Michael Jordan, but as one of the most skilled players in the history of the game, can we agree that he is at least a close facsimile of the Jordan spirit? In the final six minutes of the game it felt like the Warriors were never going to lose as long as Curry had the ball. He made a three to tie the game seconds after being reinserted in the fourth. Then he had a no-look lob to Festus for a dunk; I mean, who even attempts that pass in crunch time? He then hit a step back jumper with Favors switched out on him. And of course he had that cold-blooded crossover three on Rodney Hood for the final lead of the game. I don’t know whether the Warriors will win 70 games this season, but I know they have that Stephen Curry guy and sometimes he just decides, “We’re going to win.”

2) The rebound Draymond Green secured to win the game is a pretty good microcosm of his NBA career. He managed to box out the bigger, taller, stronger Favors for the rebound, only to have the long-armed Gobert snatch the ball from above him. Yet somehow, through determination and grit, Dray was able to regain control of the ball, fending off the hands of both Gobert and Gordon Hayward. Three players with more “talent” fought him for the ball but, in the end, it was Green who made the decisive play.

3) Admittedly, saying you like watching Andrew Bogut set screens is akin to saying you’re a huge basketball nerd, but man, Bogut sets some devastating screens. His kinda-sorta illegal hip-check screen on Raul Neto completely freed Curry for the first bucket of the game. Who needs plays when the Australian big man can get Curry a shot all by himself?

4) Derrick Favors (23 points, 10 rebounds) got good. He showed some deft moves in the post and a decent mid-range jumper. He also moved his feet well on a couple of Draymond drives. He averages 16 points, 8.5 boards, 1.4 blocks and 2 steals a game and is 12th in PER. Favors is basically a younger, slightly less skilled version of Al Horford, and he’s locked in for $35 million over the next three years. Kevin O’Connor has done a good job with Utah’s roster. The Jazz are basically the opposite of the Kings.

5) Uncanny timing by Shaun Livingston: his first three-pointer of the season gave the Warriors a one point lead with under six minutes left in the game.

6) Rudy Gobert is a beast defensively. Where Bogut is a good shot blocker, the French Rejection is a devastating one; multiple Warriors looked lost taking the ball towards the rim in the fourth. Once Gobert decides to just dunk the ball on offense instead of taking cutesy floaters and flips in the lane, he’s going to be an even beastier beast.

7) Sometimes Dray will eschew all sensibility and drive head down towards the basket for a shot regardless of who’s in front if him. He usually does it when leading the break. You can see him thinking, “I’m taking this layup no matter what!” Those drives, though reckless, seem to galvanize the team. In the third, Dray inexplicably went right at the Gobert Beast for a dunk. He got blocked, yes, but also picked up a (dubious) foul and mad respect in the process.

8) “Next man up” is the cliche sports mantra teams defer to when a key player goes down. The Dubs are a living embodiment of that refrain sans Barnes. The Brandon Rush Spectacular gave then 16 points in the previous game, and last night the Ian Clark Show provided 12 desperately need points in the second as the backup guard knocked down four threes on five attempts. As captain of the “Ian Clark will be a rotation cog” ship, I invite all of Dub Nation to join me.

9) Craig Bolerjack and Matt Harpring are pretty good on Utah’s telecast. At one point, the pair realized they had incorrectly complained about a non-foul call on Livingston and made a point to correct their mistake on air. I appreciate that.

10) On Kobe (as a Warriors fan): I went to college in southern California during the heyday of the Kobe-Shaq Lakers. This was before League Pass and Vine and Youtube so the only basketball I could get came from local LA broadcasts, which is to say I watched a lot of Kobe Bryant. I remember watching live the time he took the ball around his back, spun and jammed on the Nuggets. I can still see him carrying the Lakers past the Kings in the playoffs despite the curious case of food poisoning. He and Antawn Jamison both had 51 points in the same game, but I always knew they didn’t have the same game. Challengers like Vince Carter would try to take his place as the best guard in the league from time to time, but Bryant was always twice as good. Vince had an iconic nickname, but Kobe was all man all amazing. As a Warriors fan, I hated Kobe Bryant. But I also respected him. The Mamba’sannouncement yesterday was a gentle reminder that NBA careers are ephemeral and should be appreciated. Remember that the next time Curry pulls up from 25 feet with the game on the line. “Nothing but net” eventually gives way to “nothing left to give.” Thanks for the memories, Kobe. (I still hate you.)

Warriors Rewind: 10 thoughts on Warriors 120, Kings 101

Here's the Warriors World version.

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Prior to this game the Warriors had won nine consecutive against the Kings by an average margin of 16.9 points. Without Demarcus Cousins in the lineup last night, Sacramento had about as good a chance of winning the contest as Black Friday shoppers did of not having to elbow and push for a $2 waffle iron. Maybe arming themselves with waffle irons would’ve helped the Kings prevent Golden State from improving to 18-0.

Here are 10 thoughts from the game:

1) Steve Kerr considers "joy" as the most essential of his four core values for the Warriors. The thinking goes that in a long, grueling season, it's important to find joy in basketball to keep players engaged. Last night it was Brandon Rush that brought the joy to Oakland. Three years removed from a devastating ACL injury, the NBA journeyman had a scintillating throwback game, scoring 14 points in the third quarter on four threes and a two-handed dunk. The entire Warriors bench stood and danced after the third three-pointer, and then did it again when Rush hit a triple via the elevator doors play. Before the Rush explosion, it was a sluggish 10-point game in which the home team showed some fatigue having played the night before. By the time B-Rush was subbed out, the lead had ballooned to 26 and all of Oracle was smiling and cheering. The entire tenor of the game changed in those seven emphatic Brandon Rush minutes. Pure joy.


2) Stephen Curry is shooting 46% on attempts between 25-29 feet, and 50% from 29-39 feet (not a typo) per NBA.com. On opponent telecasts, the announcing crew will occasionally mention that Curry takes a lot of awful three-pointers. But those shots aren’t awful because it’s Curry that takes them. The MVP's accuracy from 26 feet and beyond, demands that opponent defenses come out farther on him, allowing the rest of the Warriors to play 4-on-4 or 4-on-3 in the remaining half-court. Even when Steph isn’t scoring, his presence alone creates ridiculous space for his teammates. Those 26-footers aren’t awful shots, they're strategic ones.

3) Do you realize that George Karl has played Rajon Rondo 40 minutes or more eight times already this season? And do you realize Curry hasn’t had to play in four straight fourth quarters? When naysayers discount the Warriors success because of their unprecedented good health, does Golden State’s calculated efforts to limit minutes and wear-and-tear factor into the thinking?

4) Rudy Gay the slasher and driver (20 points) is really good at basketball. Rudy Gay the long jump shooter (7-20 FG), not as much.

5) I thought Harrison Barnes absolutely made the right business move by not taking the Warriors reported 4 for 64 offer. Rudy Gay makes $19.32 million this season. I’d take HB over him right now, even without considering that Barnes is 6 years younger with emergent potential. The Falcon is going to get paid this summer given the exploding cap and dearth of quality free agents.


6) Draymond got another triple double, the first back-to-back TD for Golden State since Wilt Chamberlain. It feels like every other game another franchise record falls or gets matched.

7) Marco Bellinelli likes to take really long three-pointers (0-7). He must have had 3 or 4 from beyond 27 feet. Maybe he’s realized that after years in the Spurs pass pass pass system, on the Kings he’s unlikely to see the ball again after a pass and should just launch regardless of distance.

8) Rondo is quietly having a bounce back year. Coming into the game he had averages of 13 points, 7.5 rebounds and 11 assists. He is 8th among point guards in WAR, ahead of Chris Paul and Mike Conley. By all accounts, he’s hit the rejuvenation juice and is having a solid year, but I still hated the deal the Kings gave him because…

9) … although Sacramento had all the leverage this off-season, they somehow only got a one year deal with Rondo. So even if the mercurial point guard continues to play well, the Kings are going to lose him this summer to the highest bidder, or they’re going to have to give him a mega deal that they’ll probably end up regretting since the guy is playing on a rebuilt knee, will be in his 30s, and shoots 36% on free throws (not a typo). What other team was going to offer Rondo $10 million after his horrible Mavs experience? Why didn’t GM Vlade Divac add a one-year team option on the contract so they could keep him in case he played well? If Vlade wasn’t going secure Rondo long-term, then why not draft Emmanuel Mudiay with the 6th pick and have him learn under the former All-Star? Thinking about this makes my brain hurt. Willie Cauley-Stein did have 3 points in 20 minutes, so there’s that.

10) The Oracle crowd gave love to Seth Curry (9 points, 3-3 threes). The Warriors are so good right now that fans don’t even mind rooting for opponents to do well. What’s the difference between a 30-point win and a 19-point win? It’s more fun to find joy, especially in a familiar adversary.

Warriors Rewind: 10 Thoughts on Warriors 135, Suns 116

Here's the Warriors World version.

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If the Warriors were suffering from any kind of tryptophan-induced lethargy, they certainly didn’t show it on Friday. The Dubs jumped out big early on the Suns, putting to rest any thoughts of a letdown performance after Tuesday’s historic night. They’re now 17-0. The other teams in the league might want to stay in their turkey slumber and not awake to this Golden State nightmare.

Here are 10 thoughts from the game:

1) The Warriors are so hot right now the first few minutes of a game is usually an accurate barometer of the competitiveness to come. Unfortunately for the Suns, and fans hoping for a close game, Curry went for 19 points on 5-6 from threes as the Warriors took a 44-27 lead after one quarter. Game effectively over. Curry had 41 for the game.

2) I was looking forward to watching the backcourt duo of Bledsoe and Knight (42 points, 12 assists combined). I think they had a strong game, but it’s hard to ascertain their effectiveness because the Warriors are so dominant. It would be like trying to judge how tall you are by standing next to Shaq. You may indeed be tall, but Shaq will always tower over you. The Warriors are towering over everybody right now.


3) Someone (Jeff Hornacek?) should probably tell Ronnie Price to stop guarding Steph full court. He got beat off the dribble for two wide open threes and had to commit a foul to stop a layup. Maybe just wait for the MVP at half court.

4) The Dubs didn’t actually play a great game. The defense gave up 116 points on 49% shooting, and the offense coughed the ball up 23 times. Yet they still won by 19 points. That’s what happens when one team scores 66 points from beyond the arc at 58% shooting while the other gets “only” 30.

5) In 2012, before he suffered the knee injury, Brandon Rush was a rotation cog for the Warriors. He averaged 10 points on 50% shooting (45% from three) in 26 minutes a night. After his promising run during the preseason, I was hopeful that Rush had finally made it back. Not to be. He still looks uncomfortable out there, bobbling passes and rebounds underneath the rim. He shot 1-4 and finished with a minus-4. But I’m not abandoning the “Brandon Rush will be good again” corner. Come join me!

6) Realizing Green needed one more rebound for a triple double, Luke Walton inserts Dray back in with under 4 minutes to go. Draymond gets it on a put back (14 points, 10 rebounds, 10 assists) and immediately commits a foul on the other end to be subbed out (a move dripping with veteran savvy). I love this. Basketball should be fun. Triple doubles are fun. In baseball, some curmudgeonly old writer would say Dray getting reinserted to get a stat is disrespectful to the “integrity” of the game. I have no idea what that means. But I know that’s one of the reasons why I don’t know anyone under 40 who watches baseball.


7) Barbosa came back to his former stomping grounds and scored 21 points on 8-9 shooting. NBA players love to do this; they love to have big games versus their former teams, especially if the parting was contentious. Did someone hypnotize Stephen Curry into thinking he once played for every team in the league? Is this why he’s setting the NBA on fire like a lover scorned?

8) With 2:33 left in the game, Archie Goodwin gets a steal on a pass and seemingly has an easy path for a breakaway dunk. Only Festus decides to chase him down from behind for a block (and foul). It was a 23 point game at the time. The Warriors are so focused, they’re not giving anything up.

9) Harrison Barnes injured his ankle in the third (x-rays negative). It may sound counter-intuitive, but if HB has to miss time, his absence might prove his contract value more than his playing. Without Barnes, the Warriors will probably have to shift Iguodala to the power forward spot in the Draymond-at-center lineup and insert Shaun Livingston. It will be interesting to see how effective that group will be since HB is 2 inches and 10 pounds bigger than Iggy and does a decent job guarding 4s.

10) I hope Harrison doesn’t have to miss much time because I love watching him dunk. The dunks themselves are nice, but they also have the added value of inducing comedy from the bench. HB got a nice jam in traffic at 8:40 in the second, and afterward the entire bench rose to flap their arms in unison to soar with the Black Falcon. Grown men mimicking birds is fun. The Warriors are fun.

Leandro got the dunk

You know what my favorite part of Barbosa's dunk is?

Look how happy the guys on the bench are for him.

Warriors Rewind: Ten thoughts on Warriors 111, Lakers 77

Warriors World version here.

Credit: Kyle Terada, USA TODAY Sports

Last night’s game between the Warriors and Lakers was more formality than contest. Nothing was going to stop the Warriors freight train, certainly not the 2-11 Lakers who offered little resistance in getting rolled over. Golden State improved their record to 16-0 and made some NBA history along the way.

Here are 10 thoughts from the game:

1) Contrast in offensive philosophies: Draymond Green hits a three to begin the game. Kobe Bryant follows with a long two that clanks. Four minutes later Kobe forces another long miss. Klay gets the ball and passes up a difficult layup for a wide open Harrison Barnes corner three splash. The results were nice, but the process is one of the many reasons why these two ball clubs are on opposite ends of the standings.

2) I don’t know whether Byron Scott is being facetious or serious, but he supplies the best fodder for basketball nerds to make jokes. Between quarters, when asked how his team was performing he said, “so so. We’re just getting beat on the little things right now.” The Warriors were up 30-11 at the time feasting on lobs, layups and wide open threes. That might be getting beat by more than “the little things.”

3) Do you remember how at the end of Terminator 2, as you watched poor Arnold getting lowered in the vat of fire, you felt a little sad even though the movie had been awesome and you knew Arnold wouldn’t actually die since he had never been human to begin with? That’s how I felt watching Kobe Bryant last night. Kobe used to be a basketball deity. In 64 career games versus the Dubs, the Mamba Man averaged 28, 5, and 5 (per basketball-reference.com). He used to carve up the Warriors. Antawn Jamison, Larry Hughes, Jason Richardson, Gilbert Arenas, Monta Ellis, it didn’t matter who the Warriors “franchise player” of the moment was, Kobe was always three levels better. Watching him go 1-14 for 4 points with multiple air balls made me wish someone would invent a time machine and bring the old Kobe back — even at the expense of the Warriors. At least then we wouldn’t have to watch an NBA legend’s career burn out like this.

4) I don’t know how the D’Angelo Russell pick will pan out, but I barely noticed him on the court (8 points, 2 assists). I watched a Knicks-Rockets game where Kristaps Porzingis was clearly the best player on the court despite Harden and Melo’s presence. Jahlil Okafor is averaging 18 and 8. Justise Winslow has the 13th highest plus/minus in the league. And we just saw Mudiay show real NBA skills leading the Nuggets. Hopefully the second pick in the draft gets it going in spite of all the bust talk.

5) With 36 seconds left in the third, Curry sees Russell playing off him so he lets the ball roll up into the front court on an inbounds before picking it up, saving a few seconds on the clock. He dribbles three times, puts the rookie guard in the spin cycle, and drops home a swooping layup. Can’t tell if this was “playing until the final whistle” or just being mean. The bucket made it a 32 point game.

6) Just a note: The longest win streak in NBA history is 33 games by the ’71-72 Lakers. Just under that are the Heat’s 27 game streak and the Rockets 22 gamer. I think the Dubs are going to have a game on their hands Friday against the frisky Suns (4th best point differential in the West).

7) The 2015-2016 season will not be free of a Barbosa dunk!

8) Pat Riley said the Splash Brothers “are the two most dynamic players in the backcourt, that I have ever seen, since Jerry West and Gail Goodrich.” Hey, Pat: shhhhhhh. The Ws don’t need praise, they need more doubters. They feed off that.

9) On a recent Raptor telecast, a Toronto announcer said something to the tune of, “had Chris Paul’s layup not gone in, the Spurs would have won the championship.” Thanks, Toronto announcer!

10) Poor Jordan Clarkson. I think he still has his hand in the air waiting for Kobe to pass him the ball.

Divergent Paths: the transactions that turned the Warriors into a championship franchise, the Lakers a forgotten one

This article got run at Warriors World. This is my version.

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Golden State takes on the Los Angeles Lakers tonight with a chance to cement their place in the record books. The Warriors are primed to be the first team in NBA history to start a season with 16 consecutive wins when they host the moribund Lakers, mired in another losing season, at Oracle Arena. 

While Golden State sits at the NBA mountain top as the reigning champions, buoyed by a well-managed salary cap and young stars on team-friendly contracts, the Lakers languish at the bottom, with a roster built around a 37-year-old former superstar, two rookies*, and the player formerly known as "all-star Roy Hibbert." The opposing trajectories of the two franchises is especially remarkable when considering the recent past. (*Julius Randle isn't technically a rookie, but he missed all but 14 minutes of his first year.)

Warriors fans remember well when the team from So-Cal was the envy of bay area natives. Just five years ago, in June of 2010, it was Kobe Bryant and Company that were celebrating an NBA championship; and it was Golden State that was commiserating a 56-loss season. What happened in the five intervening years that has created such a dichotomy between the two franchises? 

The front office of both teams have engaged in bold player acquisitions, awarded risky contracts, and gambled on new coaches multiple times with varying success.  

Below, we revisit some of the more memorable transactions that have molded each team since the confetti fell on Staples Center five summers ago.

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Re-signing the Franchise Player

Lakers: 

Perhaps no transaction is more illustrative of the differences in franchise philosophy, and responsible for the outcome of the last few years than the new contract each team awarded its star player. In the winter of 2013, the Buss family came to a unified agreement to offer then-35-year-old Kobe Bryant -- who hadn't played a game since a torn Achilles tendon -- a contract extension worth $48.5 million. Observers around the league had been optimistic that Bryant would take a contract similar to Tim Duncan and Dirk Nowitzki (a team-friendly deal that'd keep the legend with the team until retirement), that would allow the organization enough financial wiggle room to build a roster with proven free agents going forward. That was not to be however, as Jim Buss publicly declared that the new mega deal was in part to pay for Bryant's previous years of service, financial flexibility be damned. As a deal to keep fans packing the Staples Center, it was understandable, but as a pure basketball decision, it's an ongoing disaster that continues to mitigate the franchise's ability to bring in coveted players in the off-season. The first year of Kobe's extension accounted for roughly 40% of the Lakers salary cap, effectively ending any notion of teaming a squad of talented free agents with Bryant (if they managed to not bungle the meeting first).

Warriors: 

The Warriors on the other hand, agreed with Stephen Curry on what is unarguably the most team-friendly contract in professional sports. When Curry inked his deal in 2012, he was coming off ankle surgery and had missed 40 of 66 games the previous season. Though obviously talented, there were legitimate concerns that his ankle issues could derail a promising career (a la Magic-era Grant Hill). The Warriors and Curry, thus, agreed to a 4-year $44 million deal that was considered fair for both sides at the time given the health risks. Curry's comically low salary has allowed the Warriors to field a deep and talented roster around the MVP featuring Iguodala, Klay Thompson, Draymond Green, Shaun Livingston, Andrew Bogut, and also keep them in position to make a play for Kevin Durant this summer.

Coaching Hire

Lakers:

After a disappointing 1-4 start to the 2012-2013 season, LA abruptly fired Mike Brown. In his place, the Lakers had the opportunity to reunite with Phil Jackson and his 13 championship rings but, instead, stunned the NBA world and Jackson by hiring Mike D'Antoni despite a less-than-stellar run in New York (121-167) that ended with his resignation from the Knicks. D'Antoni struggled in two years with LA managing an injured team, and engaged in regular public feuds with all-star Pau Gasol. He led the team to a 67-87 record before resigning for the second time in as many jobs. Jeannie Buss would later say she felt like she'd been "stabbed in the back" by her brother Jim Buss' decision to hire D'Antoni over Jackson. The Lakers today are coached by Byron Scott, a man who has publicly stated in the pace-and-space era of 2015 that three-pointers don't win championships, and whose defensive principle is for everyone to "man up."

Warriors:

In June 2011, Golden State tabbed Mark Jackson straight out of the announcing booth to lead the nascent Warriors. The former point guard made good on his promise to deliver the Warriors to the playoffs (albeit a year late), and transformed the team from a turnstile on defense under Don Nelson into one of the best in the league. He breathed confidence into the young Warriors, especially during timeouts where team huddles resembled more motivational speech than Xs and Os talk. Together, the team won a first-round series against the favored-Nuggets and, in the following season, took the Clippers to seven games despite missing their two best centers. After a public fallout between ownership and Jackson, the coach was let go in favor of another first-time coach, Steve Kerr. Again the Warriors landed the perfect coach at the perfect time as Kerr demonstrated leadership and passion and poise and intelligence from the coaching position. He instituted a new offensive system that featured more ball and player movement and in one season created a team that had the number one defense and number two offense. 

The "All In" move

Lakers:

Los Angeles was poised to become the next "Super Team" when they traded for Dwight Howard after acquiring Steve Nash in a sign-and-trade with Phoenix. Pairing the two new-comers with Bryant, Pau Gasol and Metta World Peace was supposed to help the Lakers decimate the league on its way to another championship. It was not to be however, as the expected starting unit managed to play in one game together. Nash appeared in only 50 games while battling an assortment of injuries; Howard struggled to find his form coming off back surgery; and the new Big Three had chemistry issues on and off the court. The move to create the "Super Team" cost the Lakers Andrew Bynum and 4 future draft picks -- one of which will be conveyed this off season -- thwarting LA's ability to rebuild with young players.

Warriors:

Golden State's new acquisition was far less splashy, but every bit as big a gamble. In the summer of 2013, Andre Iguodala, fresh off a strong stint in Denver, agreed to a 4-year $48 million deal with Golden State. In order to create cap space to complete the transaction, the Warriors sent two unprotected future first-round draft picks and two second-rounders to entice the Utah Jazz to take the contracts of Andris Biedrins and Richard Jefferson. After the deal, Golden State was effectively capped out, and had (like the Lakers) four fewer draft picks with which to improve their roster. They were all in -- team improvement would have to come from the roster as constructed. The gamble paid off as Iguodala became the Finals MVP, playing superb defense on Lebron James en route to the team's first championship in 40 years. 

Ownership Change

Lakers:

LA's front office was once the envy of the league. Owner Jerry Buss, Mitch Kupchack and Jerry West oversaw multiple championships and were always liable to lure a marquee free agent like Shaquille O'neal to Tinsel Town. In February of 2013, Buss died at the age of 80. His passing left a schism in the Lakers' leadership group as the Buss siblings, Jim and Jeanie publicly sparred over control of the franchise and front office decisions. As President of the team, Jeanie has stated that her brother is on a three-year timeline to get the Lakers back in "contention." The end date of the three years remains ambiguous but the continual infighting and front office instability does not. 

Warriors:

Joe Lacob and Peter Guber purchased the Warriors from Chris Cohan in 2010 for a then-record $450 million. After a rocky start that saw Lacob vociferously booed by Warriors fans at Oracle following the trade of fan-favorite Monta Ellis, the new owners steadily began to gain the trust of Warriors loyalists with one franchise-improving transaction after the other. Golden State plucked Klay Thompson with the 11th pick in the 2011 lottery. In the following draft, they nailed three foundation pieces in Harrison Barnes, Festus Ezeli and Draymond Green. They made the right coaching-hire in Jackson, and a better hire in Kerr. The team returned to the playoffs after a five-year drought. They have a brain trust that includes former-Laker Jerry West and reigning NBA Executive of the Year, Bob Myers working cohesively over every proposed transaction. And that esteemed group rewarded the franchise by deciding to not trade for Kevin Love, electing instead to keep Klay Thompson and the team's nucleus together. They have a new arena coming. And they won 67 games and the NBA championship last year. 

The front office of an NBA franchise matters, as we are reminded again and again and again. Yes, the Warriors were fortunate with a few signings and avoided untimely injuries. And having a superstar in his prime certainly helps, but I would argue that a savvy, forward-thinking management team is just as, if not more, important that having a top-flight player on the roster. Just look at Demarcus Cousins and the tumultuous Kings front office continuing to flounder. As the Warriors aim to improve their record to a historical 16-0 against the declining Lakers franchise, there could not be a more stark reminder that the Warriors are in intelligent, capable hands with Joe Lacob and Bob Myers running the Warriors show. After the long-suffering Chris Cohan years, let's be thankful for that.