The Warriors’ Dynasty Is Not Over
The Warriors have dominated opponents in the past five seasons-both through their obvious talent and through their seemingly perfect durability. They made 5 straight finals and looked to win their fourth championship against the Toronto Raptors. However, their durability came to an end as Kevin Durant, arguably their best player, injured his Achilles against the Houston Rockets. He came back for only played 12 minutes after his initial injury.
In Game 6 of the Finals, Klay Thompson, one of the best shooting guards in the entire league, went down with a torn ACL. Important role players Kevin Looney and Andre Iguodala were also dealing with pain throughout the finals. All of these injuries forced Warriors superstar Stephen Curry to carry the load offensively, and the Raptors focused their whole defense around containing him. The Warriors put up a fight, but the Raptors closed out their first championship in franchise history in six games. With Kevin Durant and Klay Thompson both expected to miss at least 9 months, the idea of the Warriors’ dynasty coming to an end is popular and even expected. However, it’s too early to give up on them just yet.
Future of the Warriors’ Dynasty
For starters, do not be surprised if Kevin Durant re-signs with the Warriors. Before his Achilles injury, Durant was underappreciated and was hated in the eyes of fans. Durant cares about how he is perceived by the media and probably felt that he needed to leave and lead another team to the Finals to prove his legacy. However, he is becoming more well-liked in the eyes of fans, as he should be. He put his body on the line to try and help the Warriors win the Finals. The Warriors are the obvious best fit for Durant in the first place. Now that his legacy is being restored, it would make perfect sense for him to re-sign. Reports have also come out saying the Warriors still plan to offer him a 5-year max contract.
Next Year
Further on, although Durant and Klay Thompson will miss the vast majority of this upcoming season, the Warriors are expected to sign both of them to max contracts. They might not win the Finals this season but in the future, they will still have their core together. Remember, to be considered a dynasty, your championships do not have to be consecutive. Michael Jordan’s Bulls won 6/8 championships, and they are considered a top 3 dynasty of all time. Look at the Patriots, they haven’t won their championships consecutively, but they are still regarded as the best team in NFL history. Don’t base your opinion on the Warriors dynasty on what happens next year. Base your opinion on what is going to happen over the next five years! If the Warriors keep their stars, they will continue to dominate for the years to come.
Continuing, the Warriors will still be competitive next year! They have Steph Curry, arguably the best point guard of all time, Draymond Green, and Andre Iguodala all ready to compete next year. Curry is primed for one of his best seasons since 2016, as he will truly have to carry the load offensively. Quin Cook can provide scoring and expect him to have a bigger role. The Warriors are lacking depth, but they have a whole offseason to figure next season out. Behind Steve Kerr, Bob Meyers and Stephen Curry, the Warriors will be back.
Don’t Count Them Out
Lastly, the Warriors are hungry. With all of the injuries, if the Warriors lost in 4 or 5 games to the Raptors, they wouldn’t have been too criticized. The media would have understood. But the Warriors pushed hard, played hard and fought hard. They pushed the deepest team in the league to 6 games, despite lacking depth and scoring. The Warriors are going to come out next season with the same passion and urgency to prove the media wrong.
In the end, expect the Warriors to be very competitive in the Western Conference next year, and for them to get their stars back after next season. Once they get their stars back, they will continue their reign of terror across the league, and win championships. The Warriors dynasty is not over yet, so don’t give up on them.
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