The Warriors had it all.
In 2014-15, they rose to prominence, taking the basketball world by storm. They won 67 regular-season games on their way to an NBA championship sparked by the play of Stephen Curry's first of consecutive MVP seasons.
The following season they took even more, posting a best ever 73-9 record as Curry won the MVP unanimously only to have their repeat dreams thwarted. A LeBron James-led Cavs team, which Golden State downed the previous season as All-Stars Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love sat with injuries, came back from down 3-1 to capture the 2015-16 title.
BENDER: Kevin Durant finds his moment
With a rematch with Cleveland all but inevitable, the Warriors needed a ringer, and they got one when they landed four-time scoring champion and former MVP Kevin Durant in the biggest free-agent signing in recent memory. Durant has been all that and then some in this year's finals against the Cavs, averaging a series-high 34 points to go along with 10 rebounds and six assists. His pull-up 3-pointer over James with 45 seconds remaining Wednesday night was the go-ahead bucket and the dagger in a 118-113 victory to give the Warriors a seemingly insurmountable 3-0 lead heading into Game 4 on Friday.
The lanky 7-footer with point-guard handles and the touch of an elite shooting guard was brought on to help the Warriors — who already had a trio of All-Stars that also included Klay Thompson and Draymond Green — down the Cavs when they didn't have the benefit of key Cleveland players hurt or out.
According to SB Nation, Green told Durant flatly that Golden State could get to the NBA Finals without Durant. They just needed him to get over the finals hump and hoist the Larry O'Brien Trophy.
“It’s funny cause I told him earlier in the year, I said, ‘It’s cool that you’re here, but we really don’t need you for the regular season. We kinda gonna need you for these Finals.’ And he stepped up big and made plays for us.”
In short, Durant, once the lifeline of a franchise in Oklahoma City, knows he's just insurance for the Warriors. That's fine with him, which means problems — big problems — for the rest of the league.