Golden State Warriors A Top 3 NBA Dynasty? 

After bringing out the brooms in the 2018 NBA finals courtesy of the 108-85 ass whooping in game 4 over the Cleveland Cavaliers, it’s reasonable to debate if the Golden State Warriors are a top 3 NBA dynasty of all time.  Are you for or against?  What constitutes the definition of a dynasty since dominating a sport for an extended period of time is subject to interpretation?

photos courtesy of NBA.com

Case for top 3 NBA dynasty all time

• The Warriors have had the best four year run of any team in the modern era. According to Basketball Reference the Golden State Warriors have won 80.8% of their regular season games between 2015 and 2018.  Aside from the great Lakers and Celtics teams of the 50’s and 60’s no team has ever had a more dominating four year regular and playoff winning percentage than the Golden State Warriors.  Yes, that includes the Jordan/Pippen Bulls,  Magic/Kareem Lakers,  Bird & Company Celtics, the Kobe/Shaq Lakers and the Duncan/Parker Spurs.  With an .808 regular season winning percentage and a .759 playoff winning percentage it’s hard to argue the sheer dominance that the Warriors have demonstrated. 

• The Warriors have the best shooting pair the game has ever seen. Forget the fact that Stephen Curry just broke the record for 3 pointers made in an NBA finals game with 9 in game 2.  Anyone who watches basketball can use the eye test.  Klay Thompson and Stephen Curry are deadly from anywhere on the floor.  These are the only two NBA players that have to be guarded anywhere past half court and they happen to be on the same team. 

• The Warriors have four perennial all stars in Draymond Green, Kevin Durant, Steph Curry and Klay Thompson. Only seven teams in NBA history have accomplished this feat. Surprisingly, no one has done it two years in a row except for the 2017 -2018 Warriors. 

• No one has had more finals appearances outside of the Lakers and Celtics than the Warriors. Sure I’m including the Philadelphia, San Francisco and Golden State Warriors, but they are still only one of three franchises with double digit finals appearances. 
• Here is a little known fact about the aforementioned Warriors. They are tied with the Bulls for third place in history with 6 championships and they will most likely win at least a few more with the team they have now.  As the late great Chick Hearn would say, the Bulls “can’t throw a grape in the ocean” right now.  They have a zero percent chance of winning anything anytime soon other than a decent draft pick.  While I doubt that Warriors will ever catch the Lakers 16 rings or the Celtics 17 rings they will definitely pass the Bulls as early as next season. 
• Has any other team in history had this much offensive firepower? Sure there were some powerhouse teams in recent memory.  The Kobe/Shaq teams of the early 2000’s for example were certainly dominant as were the 90’s Bulls teams obviously, but Kevin Durant, Klay Thompson and Steph Curry?  Growing up as a young  Lakers fan throughout the 80’s and beyond, It’s tough to comprehend, but ultimately you have to give credit where credit is due; Durant, Curry and Thompson is the best offensive threesome in NBA history and it’s not even close. 

Case against a top 3 dynasty of all time

• It’s a different league now. In the 70’s, 80’s and 90’s  if there was no blood there was no foul.  Nowadays any player can get called for a foul without even touching the opposing player.  Hence, it’s more of an offense oriented league now and coincidently the Warriors are arguably the best offensive team to ever play. 

• What if Jordan didn’t retire for two years to pursue baseball? It’s reasonable to assume that the Bulls could have won eight championships in a row in a league where the balance of power was much more evenly spread out. 

• The Bulls and Spurs each had dynasties that spanned the better part of a decade, while this Warriors team has only had four recent years of true greatness. At the same time they aren’t even close to the finish line.  The Celtics and Lakers aside, the real debate is between the Bulls, Spurs and Warriors. 

Analyzing numbers alone and one would have to include the Warriors as a top three dynasty.  They broke the Bulls record of 72 wins with 73.  They have a better three year regular season winning percentage between 2015-2018 than either of the Bulls three peat teams. Their winning percentage also beats any Lakers or Celtics 3 year team. 

Let’s also not forget that they have three players can make anyone shit their pants defensively regardless of era.  

Alas, nostalgia kicks in.  Would anyone who has seen the Bulls in their prime bet against them?  Jordan, Rodman, Pippen and the rest of the team.  At the end of the day you can’t really go wrong with choosing any of the teams as the “3^rd dynasty”.  It really depends how you define dynasty.  I define dynasty almost as I do a franchise.  It’s a combination of superstar players, championships and longevity with championships being the most important factor.  If the Warriors win one or two more rings within the next few years they will leapfrog the Bulls.  As of right now here is my list for top 5 basketball dynasties.  Agree ? Disagree ? 

1. Lakers
2. Celtics
3. Bulls
4. Warriors
5. Spurs