Despite a few rocky, injury-riddled seasons, the Warriors’ NBA dynasty never really died — a testament to the superior organization behind Steve Kerr’s squad.
On Thursday, Golden State clinched its sixth NBA Finals in the last eight years, the first team to do so since Michael Jordan’s invincible ‘90s Bulls.
Steph Curry, Draymond Green, and Klay Thompson have formed the core for each Finals run, but injuries have sidelined or hampered them in crucial moments, and Kevin Durant didn’t last long. But the front office compensated with a mini-reboot of the NBA’s highest payroll ($179M) until the core trio were intact.
- GS traded Durant for D’Angelo Russell — then flipped Russell for 2022 All-Star Andrew Wiggins ($31.6M).
- The Dubs accumulated a ton of picks, none more crucial than Jordan Poole (18.4 PPG), who should earn a big extension this summer.
- Wiggins and Poole both broke out while Thompson — whose absences were fatal in two Finals — recovered from ACL and Achilles injuries.
Now, with their original trio back and the supporting cast still clicking, the Warriors could be unbeatable.
Curry ($45.8M) won the inaugural Western Conference Finals MVP behind 25.9 PPG in the postseason, Green ($24M) is forcing opponents to 38.3% shooting, and Thompson ($38M) has three 30-point postseason games for the first time since 2016.
Led by Kerr ($8.7M), who has won 21 of his 23 playoff series in the Bay, the Warriors are back where they belong — four wins away from a fourth title in eight years.
