OAKLAND, Calif. — If it were the year 2008, the Dallas Mavericks might be up for consideration as a “Super Team.” However, tomorrow marks the first day of 2017, and the Mavericks are in last place.
It was not too long ago that the Mavs were considered the toast of the NBA. Of course, this was before the signings of aging superstars past their prime and the awarding of max contracts to role players.
The Warriors were once in that position some five short years ago. It is a league of peaks and valleys and Golden State is fortunate enough to be currently standing near the top of the mountain.
But this feeling certainly won’t last forever.
“I don’t want us to take winning for granted,” Steve Kerr said after the Warriors’ 72nd win in the 2016 calendar year. “I feel like there is kind of an expectation for us to win from our players and from everybody.”
“There is a danger there in the expectation with anything other than [winning that] can take the life and the joy out of it,” Kerr continued. “I want to make sure that our players are still out there having fun and that our fans are also not taking anything for granted.”
But can you really blame us for expecting such greatness?
Golden State is 92-6 at home since Steve Kerr took over as head coach in 2014. The Dubs are winning at home at a 94% clip. At this point, it would be pretty foolish not to expect the Warriors to win at home.
“Right now, it just feels like, everybody kind of thinks it’s supposed to happen so it’s going to happen,” Kerr added.
As we usher in a new year, let’s make a concerted effort to savor every win as though it might be the last. Nothing in this league is a given — as is the case with life in general.
Reaching the finish line is not nearly as sweet if you don’t enjoy the ride it took to get there.
So next time you see a Lakers fan, remind them who is in first place and who is not. If you see a Cavs fan, flash a smile and whisper “best two out of three.” And if you pass a Clippers fan just let them know that they can start wearing their Lakers jersey again in a couple of seasons.
Game Notes
Via Warriors PR
- The Warriors are 18-0 this season when they out rebound their opponent.
- Golden State shot at least 50 percent from the field (42-of-84 FG) for its league-best 16th time this season, improving to 16-0 this season in such games.
- The Warriors finished the 2016 calendar year with a 72-12 (.857) regular-season record — the exact same mark that Golden State finished with in the 2015 calendar year, which is tied for the second-highest winning percentage in a calendar year in NBA history (first: Chicago Bulls in 1996, 74-11, .871).
- Kevin Durant tallied his first triple-double as a Warrior (eighth career) with 19 points, 11 rebounds and a season-high 10 assists — in 35 minutes! Durant dished out five-straight assists in the third quarter, achieving his triple-double with 4:56 remaining in the third frame to mark the second time in his career that he has tallied a triple-double in the first three quarters of play (first: February 27, 2013 vs. New Orleans).