The greatest NBA teams: Golden State Warriors 2015-2019

The Golden State Warriors went through a strange patch of history between 2015 and 2019. Where they were once considered underdogs but then grew to a superpower. No one saw this change happen, to the point where NBA money lines paid out a fortune to lucky punters betting on their team.

So what happened, and why was it so important?

A Brief Moment of Worry

In 2014 the Golden State Warriors were not doing well. In fact, the whole of the west was slumping against the stands, unable to pick up their feet. The fans were frustrated as many of the top-tier players were absent for their first games.

The reason for the anger was to do with scheduling. As Doc Rivers said, “You need luck in the west [ …] Look at Golden State. They didn’t have to play us or Spurs.”

Although most sports consider skill and determination the most important part of the game, we cannot ignore the power of luck. These ill-conceived scheduling conflicts created a ripple of bad blood between the teams.

After a while, the Warrior’s found their footing and pushed through to the championships. They ended up winning their first-ever championship. But because of the anger towards the schedules, many thought the win was undeserved. It was a hard time for the Golden State Warriors, as their historic moment was being overshadowed by slander.

To prove they deserved their place in the competition, the Warriors vowed to create a winning streak so none could deny their skill and leadership.

A Change In Course, And A Broken Record

The first thing the Golden State Warriors did to prove they were worth their title was break the record for the most wins in the regular season. They achieved this straight after their questioned success.

The record was created in the 1995 to 1996 season by Chicago Bulls, and the Warriors smashed it into smithereens by scoring a 73 to 9. None could realistically question their ability now, as it had taken 20 years for anyone to come close to the Chicago Bulls record.

With this fantastic achievement on their chest, the Warriors were empowered to complete a championship-winning streak. The game was going in their direction when Draymond Green demanded a rematch. In his eyes, James had stepped over him. The rematch began with James suspended.

With James out of the way, Cleveland managed to achieve the impossible and crawled back from a 3 to 1 defeat to win the game.

The Warriors, fueled by anger, then burst back to their full potential and won consecutive championships. Kevin Durant powered through the games and proved to everyone that one person could win a tournament if enough people on the team gave them a chance. Their fans cheered, and their enemies scowled. All was looking up for them when injuries started to mount. With players dropping like flies, they lost their chance at a three-peat.

As soon as it became clear that Durant was the power behind the Golden State Warriors wins, Green pounced at the chance to recruit him. The Warriors were on the decline, so of course, Durant was going to say yes, especially with the salary upgrade they could offer. With the powerhouse of the team gone, the Golden State started to lose more of their top-tier players.

The Future Of The Golden State Warriors

With their champions gone, the Warriors were left without soldiers for their empire. They left a massive gap of strength in their wake. It is silly to think that not so long ago, people scoffed at the idea of the Golden State Warriors winning the championship, and yet they dominated for 4 years.

No other team won as many games in a 5 year period than the Golden State Warriors. Their 322 wins were a true moment of history. The Warriors finished in the top three for the net rating, the offensive rating, and the scores. And as the years went on, they only grew in strength.

Their skill was phenomenal, and their style of play was unusual. In the 4 years it took for another team to take them off the top spot, the rest of the league began to change as they became inspired by this new dynamic. The Warriors created a whole new level of passing, running, and cutting up to three-pointers that will undoubtedly stay in every new player’s skill set.

The Golden State Warriors changed the NBA forever! It wasn’t luck that brought them to the top for so many years; it was skill and ingenuity.

With this moment in the spotlight slowly fading away, what is the future for the Golden State Warriors?

Some recon that their stroke of luck has passed, and they will go back to the lower end of the league tables. Others believe that the Warriors will create a new equilibrium, where they can bring this creativity and hold their own.

All we know is that there will never be another success like the one achieved in 2015 - 2019.

On this date in 2015, the Dubs received their championship rings, and raised a banner for the first time in 40 years 🏆 pic.twitter.com/N9Nh407Cvs

— Golden State Warriors (@warriors) October 27, 2021