Kevin Durant and the Oklahoma City Thunder were up 3-1 in the Western Conference Finals over the Golden State State Warriors. After losing in the NBA Finals in 2012, it seemed as if Kevin Durant would finally get a chance at redemption. Unfortunately for Durant, the Warriors had a different idea and they won three straight games to eliminate the Thunder.
No one realized this at the time, but that seven game series was more than just a way to discover which team would reach the Finals. It was also an audition for who would gain the services of former league MVP Kevin Durant.
After playing for the Thunder organization for nine seasons, Durant spurned them in free agency and signed a two year, $54.3 million with the Golden State Warriors. The deal has a player option on the second year so theoretically, Durant could enter free agency again after next season. But for now, the Warriors have one of the best, if not the best, starting lineups in NBA history. Warriors head coach Steve Kerr and the general manager of the team, Bob Myers will have to tinker and make some sacrifices with the roster to fit in Durant's contract. The Warriors have already decided not to match the offer-sheet the Dallas Mavericks made to free agent Harrison Barnes, and they have also traded their starting center, Andrew Bogut, to Dallas to free up cap space. The Warriors renounced the rights to backup center Festus Ezeli as well. Despite these losses, the addition of Durant is worthwhile.
Free agency is still underway, and more transactions will be made, but here is a tentative look at what the Golden State Warriors roster might look like on opening night.
Point Guard: Steph Curry (Three time All-Star, Two time All-NBA First Team, One time scoring champion, Two time league MVP, One NBA championship)
Shooting Guard: Klay Thompson (Two time All-Star, Two time All-NBA Third Team, One NBA championship)
Small Forward: Kevin Durant (Seven time All-Star, Five time All-NBA First Team, One league MVP, Four time scoring champion)
Power Forward: Draymond Green (One time All-Star, One time All-NBA Second Team, Two time All-Defensive First Team, One NBA Championship)
It remains to be seen who will start at center, but the Warriors did sign veteran big man Zaza Pachulia to a one year, $2.9 million dollar deal. They also added another big in power forward David West for only the veteran's minimum. These two players will be key cogs in the Warriors supporting cast that already features Finals MVP Andre Iguodala and 6'7 backup point guard Shaun Livingston. Filling out the rest of the roster will be more challenging as the Warriors can only offer the veteran minimum to free agents. However, players may take less money just for a chance to win a championship.
The 2015-2016 Golden State Warriors set an NBA record by winning 73 games. Even after blowing a 3-1 lead in the NBA Finals to the Cleveland Cavaliers, the Warriors were still seen as favorites to win the championship for awhile. By adding Kevin Durant and his 28 points per game, the Warriors are now astronomical favorites to win not just one, but multiple championships. This team has a bounty of All-Stars and experience. There have been other teams in recent memory that feature multiple All-Stars such as the 2008 Boston Celtics, the 2013 Los Angeles Lakers, or the 2010 era Miami Heat. But those two teams either only had a "Big 3" or their stars were not in their prime. The Warriors have the "Fantastic Four", the oldest star is Steph Curry at the age of 28, and you could argue that Iguodala is a good enough player that you could consider dubbing the Warriors as the new "Fab Five."
Only time will tell if this team will achieve NBA greatness and win a multitude of championships. There have been teams in the past that have been lauded as victors pre-season and then later fallen apart. Injuries, team chemistry, and rotten luck could all factor into the fate of this team. Many will view anything short of a championship for the Warriors as a failure, and this is true. However, everyone should also take time to appreciate the greatness that will be showcased on the court next season. We may never again have the opportunity to witness four All-Stars, in their primes, play together on the same team.
