Warriors are Great in Their Own Way

Ever since this season started and the Golden State Warriors have taken the league by storm, I have found myself rooting against them. Call me a bitter Bulls fan, but I don't think this team is as good as that '96 Bulls team that went 72-10. That team had three Hall of Famers and arguably the greatest coach of all time while the Warriors have one future Hall of Famer in Stephen Curry. Yet after having the pleasure of watching this Golden State team play in person last night, I'd like to put this Warriors team in their own category not because they're better or worse than the '96 Bulls, but because they have a style and personality that differs greatly from that Bulls team.

Thompson led all scorers with 39 points tonight against the Pacers

The game started out slow for the Warriors, with the Pacers jumping out to an 11-4 lead. The crowd in Bankers Life Fieldhouse was energized and the momentum was clearly with Indiana until all of the sudden the Warriors stormed back to take a 17-16 lead. It happened so fast and that's because this team doesn't use a lot of shot clock and they get out and run at every possible moment. It's all about transition and finding the open shooters whereas the '96 Bulls played under Phil Jackson's very structured and methodical triangle offense. With Golden State, they aren't bothered by opponents knocking down shots because they simply take the ball out as quickly as possible and catch the other team jogging back in transition. At one point early in the game, Paul George hit a three and before the PA announcer could even finish saying "Triiiiifecta! Paul George!", Klay Thompson had already knocked down a three to answer at the other end. It happened so quickly that the PA announcer actually stopped saying Paul George's name because he had to announce the Thompson basket so quickly. The offense this Warriors team runs is fast-paced and relentless and they don't care if you can't catch up.

While fast-pace offense has been implemented into a number of systems over the years, this Warriors offense, quite honestly, doesn't look good. Sure it's sexy to look at when Curry and Thompson are knocking down three after three, or when they're lobbing alley-oops to their big men off pick and rolls, but that's all it is. Their shot selection isn't great, it just works out that they have the two best shooters in the game with a bunch of physical forwards that fight for every rebound should Curry or Thompson miss. For example, Thompson once had the ball on the left wing and was pressured by Paul George. George knocked the ball out of Thompson's hands and the two fumbled with it for a good two, maybe three seconds before George over-committed on an attempt to knock it away and Thompson grabbed it with his back to the basket. Without a second thought, he turned and hoisted it without even looking to drive or see where the defense was. A horrible shot selection on what was a broken possession but the shot went in, so the Warriors look good for it. It's not necessarily the textbook definition of "good" basketball, but the shots fall and it has clearly worked for the Warriors in the recent years.

The '96 Bulls' record of 72 wins may be broken this season

Moving away from the more critical side of my opinion of the Warriors, I can honestly say I have never had more fun watching a basketball team play. It's constant excitement, it's more of a form of entertainment than it is basketball to be honest. They make it look easy and they make their opponents look stupid doing it. There were times where the Pacers fans around me weren't even mad after a made basket because they, along with myself, just had to sit there and literally laugh in disbelief. It's THAT impressive how easy it is for this team to score.

 Whether it was Andre Iguodala going behind his back and sending George Hill flying past him on a fast break or Steph Curry taking on both of Indiana's big men en route to a fancy reverse layup, the Warriors had their way with the Pacers. The most telling moment of the night, and the moment that proved this Warriors team is nearly impossible to rattle, came in the fourth quarter when the Pacers hit a three to cut the lead to ten after being down by thirty at one point, only to have the Warriors answer with a three on the very next possession. I have never heard a crowd go from being so loud to almost completely silent so quickly in my life. It was as bipolar a moment as I've ever witnessed, and it just cemented the thought in my head that if you're going to beat this team you have to play a perfect game because comebacks are not something the Warriors allow to happen.

After tonight's experience, it made me realize that the comparison between this Warriors team and the '96 Bulls just isn't necessary. I understand the similarity in records and the excitement over a historical season, but I wish the media could appreciate this Warriors team as they are, not for who they are compared to. This Warriors team does not have nearly the same makeup as that Bulls team and the playing styles are about as different as they can get. That Bulls team was special, as is this group from Golden State, and because of that we should notice the differences, take note of the history, and enjoy the fun. After all, it's apparent that teams this good only come around every twenty years.