OAKLAND–To understand the scope of the Golden State Warriors’ latest ambitions, it’s imperative to appreciate the depths from which the franchise rose.
What did the word “great” mean to the Warriors 10 years ago? What does the word “great” mean to the NBA as a whole? And what can the word “great” possibly mean to Golden State in the future?
The Warriors’ meteoric ascent to the top of basketball’s food chain has been covered in tremendous detail, yet each time you recall the lineups Golden State trotted out, the lottery picks the franchise whiffed on, and the level of incompetency from upper management and coaches alike, it’s impossible to avoid looking down and seeing your jaw fixed to the floor.
Back in 2007, the Warriors fielded their best squad in 13 seasons, the “We Believe” team that melted the hearts of Bay Area sports fans after clinching a miraculous upset of the top-seeded Dallas Mavericks in the first round of the NBA playoffs. That team was objectively better than every other Warriors’ team since the early 1990s, and it won just 42 regular season games. But find a Warriors’ fan from 2007, and try to tell them the “We Believe” team wasn’t “great.” You’ll be laughed at.
That’s why Draymond Green and Shaun Livingston’s post-practice comments on the eve of Golden State’s 2017-2018 season-opener forced me to do a double-take.
Livingston was asked what motivates a team coming off an NBA Championship. How do you stay fresh after experiencing the greatest feat in your respective sport?
“It’s just about trying to achieve a level of greatness, you know,” Livingston said.
Greatness.
What did Livingston mean? Aren’t the Warriors already great?
Between 1994 and 2011, the Warriors had more seasons with fewer than 20 wins (three) than seasons in which they finished at .500 or better (two). In the past three years, the Warriors have won 207 regular season games. Between 1997 and 2004, Golden State won just 206.
But even though Golden State is less than a decade removed from the franchise’s dark ages, its roster is now the best possible reflection of how far the organization has come. At the end of this season, his ninth in the NBA, Steph Curry will have led Golden State to six playoff appearances. That means the franchise’s longest-tenured player will have twice as many NBA seasons in which he visited the playoffs than seasons he missed them.
Klay Thompson? He’s missed the playoffs just once. Draymond Green is a perfect five-for-five in his career.
At 29 years old, Curry is the dean of the Warriors’ core. He’s a few months the senior of Kevin Durant, has a year up on Thompson and two on Green. Armed with a roster of young talents and a target from having won two of the last three NBA titles, Golden State still has a largely unfinished canvas to paint on.
“With the continuity that we have, we’re more familiar with each other, I think that’s a great thing when you’re not old,” Green said Monday. “When you’re old, it kind of becomes a problem. But we’re young still. And with the experience that we have together, I think that makes a difference. With the depth that we have, I think that’s incredible for us as well. So I definitely think it has the potential to be the best team that we have. But with that being said, we have to put the work in and go prove that.”
It’s clear the definition of greatness that might have worked for the Warriors of the past isn’t suited for the Golden State of the future. On Monday, Green talked about his big-picture legacy and having aspirations of earning a coveted spot in the Hall of Fame.
In the past, the Warriors didn’t have players worthy of building All-Star campaigns for. Now, the All-Star game lineup isn’t too different from the one Steve Kerr pencils in each game.
Speaking of Kerr, he’s repeatedly said this year’s team will be his deepest. At Golden State’s media day, Kerr said the hardest part of the Warriors’ championship goal is slogging through the “long haul” of an 82-game regular season. There are teams in the NBA that would consider a 50-win season, or even a playoff berth, a great year. The Warriors would consider finishing as the No. 2 seed in the West a disappointment.
The Warriors are no longer playing with the same hand that everyone else has been dealt. Sure, they still have five players on the court, and are still subject to the same rules of the game, all the way up to the salary cap that attempts to keep the playing field somewhat level. But as the season approaches, it’s obvious that Golden State isn’t just out to defend its title. The Warriors, by virtue of their success and by the nature of their players’ disposition, are pushing for a place in history.
For a franchise that believes it’s still rising, the Warriors can only hope that the breadth of their highs match the depth of their lows.
KNBR.com’s Jake Montero also contributed to this piece.