SAN FRANCISCO — Four years ago, the Warriors were on top of the basketball world. Three years ago, they were pushed off the pedestal. Two years ago was a downright disaster. Last year, the doubts grew even larger.
You could hear the questions: Is the Dubs Dynasty over? Is Steph Curry done adding to his legacy? Has time run out on the golden era of Golden State?
Over the past few weeks, the Warriors have answered with a big, fat, resounding, ‘No,’ to all of those questions. The Bay breeze is still blowing through that title window.
Behind its championship tested trio of Steph, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green, Golden State took care of the Dallas Mavericks in the Western Conference Finals, clinching the series with a 120-110 win in Game 5 Thursday night.
Steph was named the Western Conference Finals MVP, Klay dropped 32 with 8 3-pointers and Draymond scored 17 points, dished nine assists and grabbed six rebounds. In other words, it was a quintessential night for the three champs.
It marks six NBA Finals trips in the past eight years for the trio, but this one holds a little bit more weight.
“You feel great about it,” Green said. “After being counted out, ‘Dynasty is over,’ all of those things. To get back here, it’s fantastic. It’s a testament to the hard work and dedication and to an incredible organization. We continue to stick with it, show what we’re capable of. This one feels great, but got four more wins to get.”
All three of the stars missed significant time during the regular season, passing off injuries almost like a baton. The first three months of the season marked the final three months of Thompson’s rehab from a November 2020 Achilles injury. Of course, on the night he made his momentous comeback, Draymond tweaked his back during warmups and proceeded to miss the next two-plus months. The trio played together for a grand total of five quarters before Curry’s left foot was injured by Marcus Smart in mid-March.
They had seven full seasons of time together before Klay’s ACL injury in Game 6 of the 2019 NBA Finals, but the three franchise pillars had to reacquaint themselves in the postseason. Steph returned in time for the Denver Nuggets first-round series and the Warriors have looked like a buzzsaw ever since.
It’s almost like they never left.
Curry was named the inaugural Western Conference Finals MVP Thursday night, but he couldn’t help but revel in his teammate’s reactions during the trophy ceremony at halfcourt.
“For (Draymond) to be the first one to hold that (trophy) up, let out that primal scream when he got to acknowledge that we’re back and we’re here. It’s pretty cool,” Curry said. “To see Klay get lost in his emotions of everything he’s been through, hear from the crowd, that was an amazing moment. Everything about it was perfect.”
Klay's ACL injury in Game 6 of the 2019 Finals started the downward spiral. The 2019-20 season marked the low point for the franchise, as it finished with the NBA’s worst record at 15-50. Steph broke his hand and was limited to just five games before COVID-19 wiped out the season. But Andrew Wiggins was acquired that March.
The Warriors feel like they laid the foundation for this playoff run in 2020-21, by going 15-5 down the stretch of the regular season. They carried the momentum into this season, bursting out of the gates with an 18-2 start. Kevon Looney, who won the 2017 and 2018 titles, has since ascended to new heights. Jordan Poole has grown into a rising star. Rookies Jonathan Kuminga and Moses Moody aren't playing like 19-year-olds. Role players like Otto Porter Jr. and Nemanja Bjelica have figured out how to fit into the system.
It’s a mix of old and new now for the Warriors.
“Just thankful to be in this position,” Wiggins said. “This is an opportunity that players dream of, to be in a position to win it all.”
As for the first signs the Warriors were building something unique, Thompson looks back to 2013. Klay was just in his second season at the time, Draymond was a rookie and Steph wasn't even an All-Star yet. In the trio's first season together, Golden State lost in six games to the San Antonio Spurs in the second round of the playoffs.
"We were so young," Thompson said. "We took an experienced and dynastic San Antonio team to a hard-fought series. After that, I was like, 'Gosh, were going toe-to-toe with Tim Duncan, Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili. If we build on this, we could have a great future."
Andre Iguodala joined the Warriors the next season and the wheels started turning toward a title. Steve Kerr's hiring in 2014 was the final big piece.
"If you would have told me this my rookie year, I would never have believed you," Thompson said. "Now to go to my sixth Finals, I'm elated but I'm still hungry."
In a league where roster turnover has become commonplace, the Warriors are keeping the band together. It works. Why fix what ain’t broken? Each guy fits his own way into the puzzle.
Steph is bubbly. Draymond is fiery. Klay is Klay.
“I think they’re a really unique trio just in terms of how they complement one another in every way,” Warriors coach Steve Kerr said. “They’re such different players. … The three of them together, the way they move the ball, they pass and cut, it’s beautiful to watch.”
They want more. Only 40 NBA players have ever won at least four NBA titles. Steph, Dray and Klay want to make it 43.
“We’re happy to be here,” Thompson said, “but it would help our legacy a lot if we completed the mission and won the whole thing.”
