#360view: Winning Warriors isn’t only NBA narrative

Jay Asser 01:49 25/10/2016
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  • We need to talk about Kevin: Durant will only enhance the Warriors already awesome offence.

    The moment Kevin Durant announced his decision to join Golden State, there was a frightening thought that popped into everyone’s head: what’s the point now?

    Durant’s move not only rocked the NBA world like an earthquake off the Richter scale, it also set in nihilism and a grim feeling of inevitability.

    Sport isn’t supposed to feel scripted, as if someone has written the ending in advance. The reason we love sports is because of unpredictability, suspense and drama, not seeing overwhelming greatness manifest itself over and over again.

    That’s why some of the best franchises in the world of sport are villainised – the New England Patriots, the New York Yankees, the Los Angeles Lakers and Manchester United to name some of the most prominent. Success breeds contempt, that’s just how human nature works. But while the Warriors will get more than their fair share of hate, the most enduring feeling they’ll inspire is one where you turn your palms upward, shrug and ask, “how the hell are you supposed to beat these guys?”

    It would be one of the biggest shocks in sporting history if this Golden State team didn’t win the title this year. That’s how good they are.

    We’ve already heard the cliché ‘you don’t play games on paper’ or some version of it and it’ll continue to be said throughout the season until the Warriors lift the Larry O’Brien Trophy. Pending Golden State actually losing, however, it’s going to be a struggle to fight off that hopeless feeling – whether it’s fleeting or prevailing.

    Not to sound like Brad Stevens, but that’s why it’s more important than ever to head into the new season with a greater appreciation for the process than the results.

    Scratch past the surface that is Golden State and Cleveland and you’ll notice great things are being built elsewhere. Boston have flourished into a contender through amazing player development, coaching and front office moves. The same can be said of Utah, who might win 50 games and be a legitimate dark horse without the presence of a top-25 player.

    In Minnesota, the Timberwolves may be the next Warriors, a team whose arrival we can see coming a mile away thanks to their abundance of young, blue-chip talent.

    More generally, the game and the league are in as good of a place as ever, both from an entertainment and quality perspective.

    Even with Golden State, who will assuredly be hard to ignore, some pleasure should be derived from watching what may be the greatest team ever with an offence we’ve never seen before. And if they struggle, at least relatively speaking, watching them fit the puzzle pieces not just on the court, but with their egos and alpha-dog mentalities, will be intriguing in and of itself.

    This all comes back to something we should remind ourselves year in and year out, but especially this season. Only one team can win the title, but the rest isn’t just window dressing.

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