The Warriors’ 10-0 start is the best in franchise history, and the level at which the team is executing suggests that the best is yet to come. Superstar Stephen Curry is locked in and has better averages in key areas that even Michael Jordan had in opening Chicago’s 72-10 season during the 1995-1996 campaign. Those 72 wins stand as an NBA record—but it’s a feat that Golden State could be in position to topple, should the good times continue to roll for the defending champions. Can they do it? Perry Green and Stephen D. Riley of the AFRO Sports Desk debate the question.
Riley: The NBA regular season is one of the most intense grinds in all of professional sports—there’s a reason why Chicago’s record has never been matched. Jordan, Scottie Pippen and head coach Phil Jackson were so dialed in to the mission at hand, and it spread throughout the team. Individually, Jackson, Pippen and Jordan were all-time greats but as a trio, they were that much more dominant than their opponents. When it comes to Golden State, I see the talent and I see last season’s title, but do they have the mental prerequisite that’s required to win 72 games in a season? The Bulls were lucky in 1995-1996 to avoid injury, and they had an MVP-type player in Pippen behind the actual MVP in Jordan. Chicago had the ultimate setup that season and
it translated into great things. I just don’t see a similar setup in Oakland.
Green: Curry has emerged as a dominant player and the Warriors are playing with unbelievable trust and chemistry. As long as Curry keeps his foot on the gas, the team will follow. He might not be the Jordan of 1995, but he’s just as difficult to guard and his team poses just as many matchup problems. The depth and flexibility of this Warriors team is tested night in and night out, and they never disappoint me. They have the size and mobility to matchup defensively with any team and they have an MVP-caliber player with unlimited shooting range. There is a lot to like about this team, but what I like the most is how they can insert their second unit and build a double-digit lead against their opponent’s bench. Once the starters are back in, all they have to do is keep that lead. It’s a lot easier to play with a lead and I think that helps feed the confidence of guys like Curry.
Riley: Any team can beat any team in the league on any given night, but the mental fortitude needed to bring passion and hustle on a nightly basis is the Warriors’ biggest opponent. The talent level is there and so is the superstar player, but we can’t just write off the demands of playing 82 NBA games in a span of five to six months. The Bulls accomplished their mark with a crew of mature and seasoned players. While experienced, the core Warriors roster of Curry (27), Klay Thompson (25), Draymond Green (25) and Harrison Barnes (23) are all still very young. Focus will always be the first topic. They certainly have the talent to challenge for 72 wins, but do they have that intense focus that will be required?
Green: Winning a championship should be all the evidence you need of a team’s ability to focus and dial in. The Warriors are cut from a different cloth than other young teams. They’re championship-level performers now. With talk about how last season may have been a “lucky” championship run, they’ll definitely have a chip on their shoulder this season. And you conveniently left out the fact that one of the players from that Bulls team is now coaching this Warriors team. Head coach Steve Kerr brought some fresh air and new ideas to the Warriors last year, and I’m sure he’ll have some tactics to help them lock in on winning 70-plus games, if that’s the goal. The Bulls finished November 1995 with a 12-2 record before losing only one game in December prior to going undefeated the following January. At 10-0, Golden State is obviously on the right track. Should the Warriors finish the month with an equivalent record or better, we all may need to be prepared to dust off the record books. This Warriors team is the real thing.
Riley: The NBA regular season is one of the most intense grinds in all of professional sports—there’s a reason why Chicago’s record has never been matched. Jordan, Scottie Pippen and head coach Phil Jackson were so dialed in to the mission at hand, and it spread throughout the team. Individually, Jackson, Pippen and Jordan were all-time greats but as a trio, they were that much more dominant than their opponents. When it comes to Golden State, I see the talent and I see last season’s title, but do they have the mental prerequisite that’s required to win 72 games in a season? The Bulls were lucky in 1995-1996 to avoid injury, and they had an MVP-type player in Pippen behind the actual MVP in Jordan. Chicago had the ultimate setup that season and
it translated into great things. I just don’t see a similar setup in Oakland.Green: Curry has emerged as a dominant player and the Warriors are playing with unbelievable trust and chemistry. As long as Curry keeps his foot on the gas, the team will follow. He might not be the Jordan of 1995, but he’s just as difficult to guard and his team poses just as many matchup problems. The depth and flexibility of this Warriors team is tested night in and night out, and they never disappoint me. They have the size and mobility to matchup defensively with any team and they have an MVP-caliber player with unlimited shooting range. There is a lot to like about this team, but what I like the most is how they can insert their second unit and build a double-digit lead against their opponent’s bench. Once the starters are back in, all they have to do is keep that lead. It’s a lot easier to play with a lead and I think that helps feed the confidence of guys like Curry.
Riley: Any team can beat any team in the league on any given night, but the mental fortitude needed to bring passion and hustle on a nightly basis is the Warriors’ biggest opponent. The talent level is there and so is the superstar player, but we can’t just write off the demands of playing 82 NBA games in a span of five to six months. The Bulls accomplished their mark with a crew of mature and seasoned players. While experienced, the core Warriors roster of Curry (27), Klay Thompson (25), Draymond Green (25) and Harrison Barnes (23) are all still very young. Focus will always be the first topic. They certainly have the talent to challenge for 72 wins, but do they have that intense focus that will be required?
Green: Winning a championship should be all the evidence you need of a team’s ability to focus and dial in. The Warriors are cut from a different cloth than other young teams. They’re championship-level performers now. With talk about how last season may have been a “lucky” championship run, they’ll definitely have a chip on their shoulder this season. And you conveniently left out the fact that one of the players from that Bulls team is now coaching this Warriors team. Head coach Steve Kerr brought some fresh air and new ideas to the Warriors last year, and I’m sure he’ll have some tactics to help them lock in on winning 70-plus games, if that’s the goal. The Bulls finished November 1995 with a 12-2 record before losing only one game in December prior to going undefeated the following January. At 10-0, Golden State is obviously on the right track. Should the Warriors finish the month with an equivalent record or better, we all may need to be prepared to dust off the record books. This Warriors team is the real thing.
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