Offseason Pressure: Three things the Warriors need to return back to glory
In the 2015-2016 season, the Golden State Warriors were able to do something special that has never been done before in NBA history ever. The Warriors earned an 73-9 record topping the 1995-96 Chicago bulls team that had the most impressive record season record before this year at 72-10. The Warriors accomplished a lot this past season, but fell one game short of their goal of winning back to back NBA championships. The Warriors can only blame themselves as they allowed the Cavilers to become the first team in history to come back from a 3-1 deficit in the NBA finals. This offseason will be full of moves and a Golden State team wondering what could have been. There are three key things that the Warriors must do to return back to the glory of winning an NBA Championship.
1. Keep their superstars together.
They might have fell short this year but they still have the best shooters in the NBA with Stephen Curry, and Klay Thompson. Let’s not forget about the physical Draymond Green that left it all on the floor in Game 7 vs the Cavilers. Even through the three combined really struggled compared to the regular season the three must stay together and continue to grow their game as the best big three in the league to have a chance to win another championship
2. Get a big man that can put more pressure on the opposing team.
The Warriors received a huge blow when their 7-foot big man Andrew Bogut got injured in Game five of the finals against the Cavilers. In his absence, the Cavilers were able to be more aggressive in attacking the paint in games 5 to 7. The warriors need a big man that can score the ball but also be aggressive on defense and rebound and block shots. Green can play the Center positon well but many would want him on the perimeter guarding the best wing player on the opposing team and out of the post. Adding a legit big man will make the Warriors more difficult to defend and open up more space on the floor for knock down shooters Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson.
3. Find a way to save some gas in the tank.
After having an historic regular season it was easier to tell that in the postseason that the warriors were running low on energy and had a harder time keeping pace with the league’s top teams. After going seven games with the Thunder, and Stephen Curry not being 100 % most of the playoffs was starting to take a toll on Golden States rhythm for the game. It became even more draining when they couldn’t close out the series against the Cavilers in game 5 or game 6 which turned out to the blow out games. By the time game seven their must win game comes around the Warriors are out of energy and barely could make a shot in the final five minutes of game seven leading to LeBron James being able to celebrate his first championship since returning to the city of Cleveland that he loves.
The Warriors will be contenders for years to come and won’t be leaving the spotlight anytime soon. But these key things have to be done in the offseason to be able to return to glory of winning an NBA championship next season.
