The Golden State Warriors are on pace to break Michael
Jordan’s Chicago Bulls 72-10 record. At 46-4, and with the way they are beating
teams, it is a valid argument to say that this is the best NBA team ever. This could sound like an insult to those who
have witnessed the domination of that Bulls team, especially to those who were
already born in that era, and even much more for those who have played in that
era. It wouldn’t be a surprise if the
likes of Charles Barkley and Shaquille O’neil would take little jabs at this
team. Of course, every hall of famer would like to think of his age as the
golden years of basketball. In the end only time will settle the argument on
whether the 2015 Golden State Warriors is better than the Bulls’ 72-10 team,
but at this point in time, it is so tempting to speculate.
For one, we haven’t seen a player like Stephen Curry. He is courting with history, breaking records with his 3-point shooting. Yes, there are other good shooters as well. One might argue that Reggie Miller or Ray Allen were better, but they were not as good in ball handling, passing, and defense. There are of course players who are much better in those individual categories, but combined? Nobody.
Fans are almost expecting Stephen Curry to make the shot each time, but believe it or not he is still human and will have a slump. While Jordan had Pippen, Stephen Curry has Klay Thompson, who is of course a very, very good shooter defender and finisher at the rim. Thompson is the type of player that would still have made it to the All Star Team even if he played somewhere else.
Aside from the Michael Jordan-led Bulls, no NBA team since
the ‘90s has won the ring without a very dominant big man. Talk about the championship teams of
Shaquille O’Neil, Hakeem Olajuwon and Tim Duncan. The Golden State Warriors
actually has a dominant big man in Draymond Green. His name may not be as big as
those three big men mentioned, but that
is only because he is young and still playing. Gradually, Green is changing the
way the forward position is played. He can bring down the ball after a
rebound-----allowing Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson to take their positions.
He is a good passer, very active in the paint and can shoot the three.
And of course, there is the bench. They have a very reliable
bench that gives coach Steve Kerr so much luxury that no team, except maybe for
the San Antonio Spurs, now enjoy. With
their bench, the Golden State Warriors is able to keep their pace while keeping
their leaders rested. When you have the likes of Leandro Barbosa, fondly known
as the Brazilian Blur at the bench, you can bet they are not going to slow down
that much.
The coaching staff is also another crucial thing. Maybe
Steve Kerr would hate to admit it, but he had a good amount of working
experience with two of the best basketball coaches ever------Phil Jackson and
Greg Popovich. Look at the way the Golden State Warriors are playing, they are
so well coached, the flow of players in both offense and defense would tell you
that they know where their teammates are and what they will be trying to do.
Having this in mind, it is very, very tempting to predict that the Bulls’ 72-10 record will fall down and this Warriors is the best team ever.
On Tuesday, February 9, its Golden State Warriors vs. Houston Rockets.
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