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From Underdog to Favorite: The Golden State Warriors Have Grown Up

By Carlos Murillo

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How did we get here?

That seems to be the question both fan bases were asking themselves after the Golden State Warriors overcame a nearly insurmountable 20-point deficit in the fourth quarter to eventually beat the New Orleans Pelicans in overtime in Game 3.

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However, this question should be examined in a much broader sense. Two years ago, after upsetting the Denver Nuggets, the Warriors looked to snap a losing streak in San Antonio that dated back to Run TMC. The Spurs were the No. 2 seed in the tough Western Conference so the Warriors, at No. 6, were coming in as a pretty heavy underdog.

But they were confident. And they were still hot from their fantastic series against the Nuggets. So they fired away. Stephen Curry scored 22 of his 44 points in the third quarter pushing the Warriors lead to as many as 18 in the period. Going into the fourth quarter with a 12 point lead, the Warriors were in terrific position to win the game. They were playing solid defensively, limiting the Spurs to just one make in their first 10 fourth quarter attempts. With 4:20 left in the game, the Warriors held on to a 16-point lead.

Victory was imminent. Except this was a young, inexperienced team on the road against a veteran squad with Hall of Fame personnel and a winning pedigree.

May 6, 2013; San Antonio, TX, USA; San Antonio Spurs guard Tony Parker (9) looks at the score board during the second half in game one of the second round of the 2013 NBA Playoffs against the Golden State Warriors at the AT&T Center. Mandatory Credit: Soobum Im-USA TODAY Sports

The Spurs rallied and chipped away at the lead with points in the paint and wide open three pointers until the game was within reach for them. The Warriors, on the other hand, missed eight of their last nine field goal attempts and allowed Danny Green to get  a wide open look at a game-tying three pointer. The Warriors battled with the Spurs for two overtime periods. Up by one with just three seconds left, the Warriors needed one more stop to steal one on the road.

Manu Ginobili went away from the ball to just set a screen. As Tony Parker came around towards the ball, both Jarrett Jack and rookie Harrison Barnes jumped at Parker, thus leaving Ginobili wide open. The lefty Spur, who wasn’t even a part of the play, according to him, hit the game winning three with 1.2 left.

And just like that, imminent victory slipped away. A nearly 20-point lead on the road was squandered and a major defensive breakdown in the second overtime did the Dubs in. Amazingly, the Warriors showed great poise, bounced back, and won Game 2. Though the Warriors demonstrated solid maturity in winning that second game, they’ve grown by leaps and bounds since then.

The 2014-15 Golden State Warriors are clearly better than the 2012-13 Golden State Warriors. Those San Antonio Spurs were also a lot better than these New Orleans Pelicans. It’s important to note that I see a lot of the Warriors in Anthony Davis and the Pelicans (give it a few years, New Orleans, you’ll get there). The point is that the Warriors have learned how to win even when it gets ugly. For the most part, it’s pretty easy to quantify the Warriors’ improvement over the last several years. But there are some intangibles.

Apr 23, 2015; New Orleans, LA, USA; Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) celebrates after a three point basket forced the game into overtime in game three of the first round of the NBA Playoffs at the Smoothie King Center. The Warriors defeated the Pelicans 123-119 in overtime. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports

In fairness to the Warriors of two years ago, they seemed to have greater…intestinal fortitude, let’s say, than most young teams. After seemingly losing All-Star Forward David Lee for the postseason, the Warriors still managed to beat the Denver Nuggets. After suffering a heartbreaking loss in which Draymond Green was bested in a one-on-one with Andre Miller (No, seriously. It happened), the Warriors still managed to beat the Nuggets. They took the eventual Western Conference Champs to six games, giving them everything they can handle.

Coaching and an improved roster are just as important in the Warriors’ development as anything else, but there’s something about playing together and gaining experience. Those Warriors were young and inexperienced, a bunch of rookies and vets in new roles all learning how to play together.

Now, they’re veterans. All of them. Barnes has found a signature shot. Klay Thompson has become an entirely different player. Green plays with the intensity of a college walk-on fighting for a spot and the IQ of a 20 year veteran. Curry is no longer an exciting player bursting onto the national stage; he’s a bona fide superstar who has cemented himself as one of the best players in the NBA.

In Game 1 against the Pelicans, the Warriors let a 25-point lead disappear, eventually only winning by seven after essentially exchanging free throws and baskets with Davis and New Orleans at the end of the game. The Warriors weren’t in the rhythm that fans have grown accustomed to. Even without a flow or momentum, the Warriors did enough to ward off the Pelicans and win. That’s growth.

Those Warriors were young and inexperienced; a bunch of rookies and vets in new roles all learning how to play together. Now, they’re veterans. All of them.

After getting down by 20 in Game 3, the Warriors could have rolled over and said, “Let’s look ahead to Game 4.” But, through their experiences, they know that anything can happen. The Warriors didn’t rely on the three-point shot in the fourth quarter; they battled for 10 offensive rebounds and were just grinding. That combination of patience and sense of urgency is something that the veteran Spurs showed two years ago. Head coach and former Gregg Popovich student, Steve Kerr, has added many elements of San Antonio to the Warriors’ style however this is something the players added on their own. That’s growth.

The Warriors did what they were supposed to do. They protected their home floor and then went on the road and beat an inferior team. The Pelicans played really good basketball, but the Warriors refused to let them take a game.

In Game 4, the Warriors dominated and held a double-digit lead for most of the game. Once the Pelicans made a run in the fourth quarter, Curry and the Dubs countered every punch. The Warriors completed the franchise’s first sweep in a seven game series since the 1975 four game victory over the Washington Bullets in the Finals. The Warriors faced adversity, but they didn’t let it phase them. The Warriors handled business. That’s growth.

The players all picked each other up. When one struggled, the next guy stepped up. Curry didn’t shoot the ball particularly well so his teammates scored for him and set him up for the big moment. Then, at a time when stars show up, Curry did in spectacular fashion. Though the growth has been evident the whole season, this Pelicans series showed how the Warriors have developed.

The Warriors are ready to win. The core has both developed individually and grown together. Management refused to take the bait and kept the team together and it’s paying off. Though young, they’re veterans. When the shots weren’t falling, the Warriors would lose; now they grind and find other ways.

The Warriors can win pretty or they can win ugly like they’ve done this series. Losing a nearly 20 point lead to the Spurs two years ago has helped them reach a point where they can come back from 20 in a quarter.

Moving forward, the Warriors’ talent will be tested. Then the experience and growth and desire to win will carry them. Long gone are the days where winning 40 games, a playoff game, or a series is considered “progress.” The Warriors failures and growing pains have gotten them here to this point where a championship is the ultimate goal and real possibility.

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