The Golden State Warriors have officially put their stamp on the 2015-16 season of NBA basketball. Nobody will remember much else from this year if they end up winning over 72 games, because Charles Barkley has claimed that there are only five teams in the league worth watching during this season.
The Warriors have swept the Oklahoma City Thunder so far this year, and it looks like the Dubs have gained a real mental edge over one of their chief rivals. Kevin Durant doesn’t seem convinced his team can handle Golden State in a playoff series, and he made some prophetic comments after a recent loss against the Los Angeles Clippers that could be applied to their game against the Warriors as well.
“They made plays, we didn’t,” he said to ESPN. “They were disciplined, we weren’t. We want to be a great team. We’re fooling ourselves. If we just want to be a great team, the way we’re playing, we’re fooling ourselves. We want to win a bunch of games in the regular season, that’s cool, but we’re fooling ourselves with the way we’re playing.”
Stephen Curry and Marreese Speights both deserve credit for the way they’ve played against the Thunder, but the last two matchups were winnable for Oklahoma City.
If Russell Westbrook would stop playing hero ball, then the Thunder would be a threat to roll through the Western Conference. But this team isn’t ready to take down the Warriors or San Antonio Spurs at this point.
Durant scored 32 points on 17 shots against Golden State on Thursday night, but he still should’ve gotten the ball a lot more. This falls on Westbrook. Every time he takes a hurried shot in transition or drives the lane when it is crowded, this plays into the hands of the defense.
Durant also notched 10 boards and nine assists during Thursday’s contest; however, the Thunder don’t appear to have changed any of their offensive philosophies under new head coach Billy Donovan, and it wouldn’t surprise anyone to see Durant leave for greener pastures as a result.
So you still want to wear No. 35 next season, right? – Steve Kerr to Kevin Durant (probably) pic.twitter.com/eqwKRmCzY9
— Michael Bohlin (@MBohlin247) March 4, 2016
Can you imagine him playing on a team like the Warriors or Spurs where they actually move the ball? It would be an amazing sight, and Durant must be thinking the same thing right about now.
