5 Reasons why the Golden State Warriors are so successfulÂ
The Golden State Warriors are the most popular team in basketball today. They have won 3 of the last 4 NBA championships and are on course to win more. A team filled with talented players, the Warriors have transcended the game of basketball itself.
Always playing in front of sell-out crowds, home or away, the Warriors are the most successful team in the NBA in the last 4-5 years and only got better this off-season by adding All-Star Center DeMarcus Cousins.
This article is dedicated to their Basketball greatness as we look at five reasons why the Warriors are so successful as a team.
#1 Defense
The Warriors have the best offense and the stats speak for itself as they are the leaders of the offensive-rating list for the past 3 years. They were second on the list in 2014-15 and third on the list in 2013-14. Stephen Curry can drop 25 points in his sleep, Kevin Durant can score 25 like its nothing and the other offensive players also can get the ball in the hoop without any difficulty.
The key to the Warriors is not just their offensive outburst, but staying on top in defense as well. Barring this recently concluded 2017-18 season in which the Warriors finished 9th on the offensive rating list, they have always stayed top 5. In 2014-15, when they won their first title in the modern era, they were ranked 1st in the defensive rating and always stayed consistent with their defense since then.
Their associate head coach Mike Brown is one of the greatest defensive minds of all-time. Draymond Green is a 3-time consecutive All-Defensive First Team member and also won the Defensive Player of the Year trophy in 2017 for his defensive greatness. Stephen Curry averages 1.8 steals per game and is very sharp on the court. After coming to Oakland, Kevin Durant's defense also improved which was evident last season when he had career-high 119 blocks and carried the bulk of defensive-load when Draymond missed games.
Thompson is known for sticking to the opposition's PG causing serious problems. Andre Iguodala was named Finals MVP in 2015 for stopping LeBron James. They also have a lot of other players who are known for their defensive abilities and when the game gets tougher on the offensive end, their defense definitely bails them out.