NBA: 5 Reasons Why The Golden State Warriors Could Be Dethroned
It's inaccurate to say "we are living in the era of the Golden State Warriors" when in actuality it's the Houston Rockets (44-13) that have the best record in the league. Yes, it's only a half-game lead but facts are facts, there's no asterisk to that. And even if both these teams end up with identical records at the end of the regular season, it would be the H-Town franchise that will top the West, courtesy of their 2-1 head-to-head record against the defending champs in the season series.
The Warriors' 14 losses so far are the most they've had at the All-Star break through their four-year run of contending for titles. That isn't the concern though, it's their recent form heading into the break that forced head coach, Steve Kerr, to take a day off of coaching while the team squared up against the Phoenix Suns last Monday (Feb. 12).
The team is gone 4-4 in their last eight games. It's easy to push off any debate regarding them given the talent on their squad but here are 5 reasons why we should be worried about the defending champions:
#5 Mental fatigue
It's not easy playing from October to June four years in a row. While there is the obvious physical aspect of the grind, it's the mental exhaustion that really costs such teams championships towards the end of their dynastic runs.
There's a reason, only one team has made it to four straight NBA Finals since 1987 [Boston Celtics] - the Miami Heat from 2011 to 2014. It's not just about getting there. There's a reason, only one team since the turn of the millennium has won three championships in a row - the Los Angeles Lakers from 2000 to 2002.
As the years have rolled by, teams' medical staffs have found different ways to prolong players' careers and overcome the physical stress of competing year in and year out but the answer to the mental wear-and-tear has not been found yet.