Sixty-seven wins and 15 losses. Four All-Stars. Best record in the NBA. Best ever playoff record for an NBA team. Two championships in three years (according to NBA.com).
Some would refer to these facts as “video game statistics,” which are statistics that are so unheard of, they can only be accomplished in a video game.
However, in the 2016-2017 season, the Golden State Warriors made it their reality.
Heading into the 2017-2018 season, the goal for the Warriors is simple: to be NBA champions again.
Not only does the team strive to become champions again, but the fans do too. Many Bay Area sports fans have been disappointed by the outcomes of recent seasons and hope that the Warriors season will have a more positive ending.
“Watching the San Francisco 49ers and the San Francisco Giants this year was definitely a struggle,” said Tyler Flores, a sophomore. “Watching the Warriors, however, is better because they are going to come together soon and have another great year.”
According to CBS Sports, the Warriors have a 70 percent chance of repeating as champions in the upcoming season.
“I think the strongest part of the team heading into this season is their starting five. They have a really strong bond, and they will continue to work together,” said Adriana Kurtovich, a junior.
The starting five for the Warriors includes All-Stars like Kevin Durant and Stephen Curry, who are both former MVPs and the two biggest playmakers for the Warriors. Both Durant and Curry averaged over 25 points per game for the Warriors in the past season, and they both shot over 45 percent from the court, according to Basketball-Reference.
Players like Draymond Green and Klay Thompson are also All-Stars and key components of the roster.
“Both Green and Thompson don’t receive as much attention as they would if they played on a team without Stephen Curry and Kevin Durant. With that being said, the Warriors are able to develop a certain way of playing that allows all of the players to showcase their strengths,” said Patrick Smith, the athletic director at Carlmont.
The starting five isn’t the only strength of the Warriors heading into the new season; the bench is also an important asset to the team’s success.
“The fact that we were able to maintain our key bench players as well as picking up more definitely makes the bench one of the stronger parts of the team. Plus, they drafted well, which means that we are at a really strong point with our second options,” said Valerie Wang, a junior.
In the offseason, the Warriors were able to re-sign all of the key players to the bench such as Andre Igoudala, Shaun Livingston, and Javale Mcgee. In addition, they added Nick Young and Omri Casspi. Finally, they drafted Jordan Bell, a center from the University of Oregon who will improve their defense.
“Bell is a lockdown defender and was able to guard everyone that came his way last season at Oregon. He was one of the biggest reasons why the Oregon Ducks made it so far in the NCAA tournament,” said Nick Knobel, a sophomore.
However strong their team is, the Warriors still have their fair share of roadblocks to overcome.
“The roster is lacking in the center position, which I think is their biggest weakness. When we face teams that are dominant defensively and have many big players, I fear that we don’t have enough options,” said Wang.
According to Fox Sports, the Warriors center, Zaza Pachulia came in 60th place in the whole NBA in rebounding, which was the worst of all starting NBA centers. He also came in 224th place in scoring.
The center position isn’t the only concern for the fans.
“The biggest concern for the Warriors is the teams in the West. Teams like the Rockets, Timberwolves and Thunder who have ‘super teams’ are going to challenge the Warriors throughout the year,” said Luke Adams, a junior.
The Warriors came into the new season strong, but they still have many barriers they need to overcome before they can be champions for the third time in four years.
