Think about how hard it is to repeat. I mean, really try to come to grips with how challenging it is to win back-to-back championships. Six teams (the Bulls, Celtics, Lakers, Pistons, Heat and Rockets) have ever done it. What resonates with me as the most daunting challenge is having to replicate the exact stream of chemistry, confidence, and motivation that brought you initial success. In the case of the Golden State Warriors, that process of replication almost looks impossible.
The Warriors became the 10th team in NBA history to win at least 67 games in a single season, which was also the most games won by a rookie head coach for Steve Kerr. They became the first Western Conference team to win 39 home games in a season. They became the eighth team in NBA history to finish the season with a double-digit point differential (+10.10) and set franchise records for assists in a single season (2,248) as well as three-pointers (883, third in NBA history). League MVP and catalyst Stephen Curry set a new NBA record with 286 threes made in the season.
History was made in Golden State in the 2014-15 NBA season, and no matter how one might look to justify the injury-ridden dynamics of their opponents throughout the postseason, the Warriors simply dominated the league from start to finish. Statistically, we witnessed one of the greatest teams of all time. In the case of a potential repeat, many questions must be asked. Among them are these: do the Warriors need an equally magical campaign next season to defend their title? What main factors will affect their ability to repeat?
One of the ongoing critiques of the Warriors throughout last season was their jump-shooting propensities. Perhaps most adamantly emphasized by TNT’s Charles Barkley, the idea of a team winning a championship that relies primarily on making jump shots was unconventional, and practically frowned upon. But as referenced from their historical shooting stats last season, we clearly had never seen a shooting team like this one before, leading them to defy the odds. Still, a very real and cliché challenge for the Warriors will be continuing to make shots. Even with arguably the best shooting backcourt in history with Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson, it’s hard to imagine the Warriors topping or even matching the kind of shooting they did last season.
Could they do it? Maybe. Will it be twice as hard? You better believe it.
The other crucial aspect of the Warriors’ championship season was outstanding health. Klay Thompson, Andre Iguodala, Draymond Green, and Shaun Livingston each missed no more than five games. Stephen Curry only missed one game to rest a sore ankle. Andrew Bogut tallied over 2,000 minutes for the first time since 2010-11. From ESPN’s Tom Haberstroh:
According to injury data maintained by ESPN Insider’s Kevin Pelton, the Warriors lost only 1,252 minutes to injury this season, the lowest total in the NBA.
Also from Haberstroh — Warriors GM Bob Myers on his team’s health fortunes:
Myers credits the training staff led by Johan Wong and director of athletic performance Keke Lyles, and the coaching staff led by Steve Kerr, who rested Curry for 20 fourth quarters when he could have played more to boost his numbers. In turn, the coaches and trainers credit Myers and ownership for building the roster with the right bodies.
“Well, there’s luck,” Myers said. “We’ve had bad luck, too. Two years ago, David [Lee] was out against the Spurs and the Nuggets. Last year, we had no center against the Clippers. So you’re in it and you’re going to have years when you suffer injuries. And you’re going to have years where you stay healthy.”
Every championship team in history experienced their fair share of luck. Not in any way to discredit the work of the Warriors training staff, but how likely is it that this team, or any team for that matter, enjoys the same streak of good health for consecutive seasons? In order to repeat, they’d certainly have to do so. What is to their advantage, as mentioned by Mychal Thompson in his contention that this team can go on to win multiple championships, is that their core foundation is young, but that does not absolve them of potentially sudden injuries.
Lastly, and most importantly in my assessment of the Warriors’ chances of repeating, is the competition. The Western Conference is a flaming gauntlet of terror, and it’s only grown more dangerous over the years. Given the depth of talent, the West has been up for grabs for whomever steps up to claim it. The Warriors emerged and capitalized in rare fashion last season, but take a look around — the Spurs are not only still here, but they’re rejuvenated by a superior offseason; the Los Angeles Clippers have re-loaded their roster with more talent and depth and they will be right back knocking on the door; Kevin Durant and the Oklahoma City Thunder are coming for anyone and everyone who might have chosen to forget how frightening they can be; the Houston Rockets are still scrapping for legitimacy and they’ve added Ty Lawson. The elite Western Conference teams have all made improvements and have every right to emerge next season. Even though the Warriors are deemed the favorites until otherwise, the conference is still just as much up for grabs.
Duplicating a championship run is hard, especially the kind of run the Warriors made last season. A popular phrase to conclude with is regression to the mean. The Warriors will make plenty of shots next season, but maybe not as many. Maybe they’ll stay reasonably healthy next season, but maybe just not as healthy. With this in mind, an important factor to watch for with the Warriors next season is their body language and identity. That is, do they visibly have the same confidence, attention to detail, and fluidity that made them so unstoppable last season. In order to repeat, the Warriors will have to embrace more of a gritty mentality, even a breed of arrogance. They showed the ability to win in different ways with their versatility, and that’s a good thing, because they won’t be able to win the same way they did this past season.
Any microcosm of circumstances could hinder the Warriors from repeating. The margin of error will slim into nothingness and their fortitude will be tested twice as hard. This group has another advantage in going into next season with the same team, minus David Lee. But the task will be far greater, and as they pursue it, we’ll learn the true potential of this team on an all-time scale.
