There is a little over a week left until the NBA regular season starts and fans couldn't be more excited. There are many story lines coming into this season, but not one is getting more media coverage than the arrival of Kevin Durant to the Golden State Warriors.
The Warriors gave up a 3-1 Finals series lead to the Cleveland Cavaliers last June after the best regular season performance in NBA history. Aside from winning 73 games last year, Stephen Curry was the first unanimous MVP in league history. Curry entered the season holding the record for most 3-point field goals made by a player in a season with 286 and then went and shattered that record with 402 made 3's.
This Warriors team was deep, could stretch the floor, played defense, lethal on the fast break and was extremely well coached. And now they went and added Durant, the 2014 Most Valuable Player, to the team. They are the heavy favorites to win it all this year, but I am not buying it.
Kevin Durant came at a price.
In order to pay Durant, the warriors cleared out many key players on the team, including two starters. Rim protector Andrew Bogut and young athletic small forward Harrison Barnes went to the Dallas Mavericks. Festus Ezeli, Marreese Speights, Leandro Barbosa and Brandon Rush also left the Warriors this off-season. Sure, they added Zaza Pachulia, Javale McGee, David West and obviously Kevin Durant, but losing six players is nothing to brush off as nothing.
Their bench took a big hit and they will have to rely on their stars more throughout the season which will impact their performance in the post season.
Rome wasn't built in a day, neither are championships.
I never said that the Warriors would never win a ring with this core, I just don't think it will happen this season. Look at some of the teams to make drastic changes to their rosters. The big 3 in Miami (Lebron and Bosh joined Wade), Lakers (Dwight and Nash join Kobe), Lebron back to Cleveland and the big 3 in Boston (Garnett and Ray Allen join Paul Pierce.) The Celtics big three were the only ones to win a championship in the year they joined forces. It is not impossible, but it is hard.
What made the Warriors so lethal, besides their sharp shooting, was the team's chemistry. With every team, you have egos that need to be dealt with. The warriors are Steph's team and him and Klay Thompson seem to have a nice dynamic where both are given the green light when they are feeling it. But now throw in another superstar and that means less touches for everyone. It can be figured out but not as quickly as everyone seems to think.
Warriors have a target on their back.
The Cavaliers may have won the title, but every team is trying to figure out a formula to beat the Warriors. You can ask any player who has one titles back-to-back or that have even three-peated, winning the next title is always harder than the previous. Teams play you differently when you are the champ. Everyone wants to beat the champs. And like I said, the Cavaliers are the reigning champs but after 73 wins, Warriors will be treated as if they won.
What the Warriors did this off season was risky and it was an opportunity that any general manager would jump at, to put two previous MVPs on the same team together. I am just not buying the fact they will instantly be successful.
