Food for thought: the last team to win the NBA Finals with no players with any Finals experience was the 1991 Chicago Bulls. We know what ultimately happened there: dynasty. 1991, 1992, and 1993. If MJ doesn’t go “ride the bus,” then maybe 1994 and 1995 too (sorry, Houston). And then: 1996, 1997, and 1998. Six titles, eight years.
Ironically, Steve Kerr was on many of those teams. He coaches the Golden State Warriors now. While I never thought I’d utter the phrase “NBA Championship-winning head coach Steve Kerr,” I suppose weirder things have come out of my mouth contextually over the years.
If the Golden State Warriors win it all this series — and I’d pick them to, although it’s a tall order with LeBron James on the other side — they’d be the first team to win it all with no Finals experience on their squad since those 1991 Bulls.
I wouldn’t say the Warriors are going to win six titles in eight years — that’s hard to do in the modern NBA, obviously — and the 1991 Bulls to 2015 Warriors narrative isn’t even complete: the 1991 Bulls had to beat the Pistons, who were long-time rivals, to get to their first Finals.
The 2015 Warriors had to beat the Pelicans, the Clippers, and the Rockets. While the Pelicans could become an emergent rival — Anthony Davis and all — the Clippers and Rockets would probably be less of a “rival” or “foe that needs to be vanquished” than the Spurs would be. Spurs already had lost to the Clippers this year, though.
Remember: the Rockets were the 2-seed this year, and the Warriors basically manhandled them in the Western Finals. The Spurs might have another run, the Clippers might be back and ready to win the series this time, and there are teams like the Blazers and Pelicans that could rise up. But the Warriors probably have a bit less competition in the West than we think.
So, what do you think: could the Warriors become a dynasty?
