Remembering the 2014-15 Golden State Warriors championship season

Let’s do a little reflecting on the unit that began the Golden State Warriors dynasty back in the 2014-15 NBA season.

Heading into the 2014-15 NBA season, the Golden State Warriors were nothing more than an up-and-coming team. They were expected to be competitive but nobody could have foreseen the dynasty they were about to begin.

Prior to this year, the Dubs had only been relevant for two seasons this decade. The franchise won just 23 games in 2011 before finally reaching the playoffs for the first time since 2007 in the next season.

This was behind a breakout season from future MVP, Stephen Curry. The first-time All-Star broke the NBA’s single-season 3-point record and helped carry the Warriors to the postseason alongside the team’s other All-Star, David Lee.

After a surprisingly strong postseason run in 2012, the Warriors fell to the LA Clippers in a hard-fought seven-game series in 2013. Entering the 2014-15 season, the question was if the Warriors would ever get over the hump and become a real title contender.

This is when the franchise elected to make some risky moves. They fired Mark Jackson, the head coach who had helped turn things around in Golden State, in order to hire a rookie coach in Steve Kerr.

The front office also chose to retool their roster a bit. They signed veteran guards such as Leandro Barbosa and Shaun Livingston. These two would go on to be productive bench players.

However, the most important thing they did was adjust their rotations to create the “death lineup”. A five-man squad consisting of Curry, Klay Thompson, Harrison Barnes, Andre Iguodala and Draymond Green was ready to take the league by storm.

Green’s emergence was vital to this team. He started in all 79 games he appeared in and brought a level of versatility to the Warriors that the league had never seen before. Their offense was unlimited and the Splash Brothers began to hit new heights.

Thompson broke out as an All-Star, averaging 21.7 points on 43.9 percent shooting from the 3-point line. He had a number of incredible moments, including his unreal 37-point quarter versus the Sacramento Kings.

Above all else, Curry blossomed into an MVP. Curry posted 23.8 points, 7.7 assists, 4.3 rebounds and 2.0 steals per game as he propelled the Warriors to a league-best 67-15 record.

Once in the playoffs, the Warriors continued to roll at a high level. They reached the finals only losing three games total and were ready to compete for their first championship in 40 years.

Standing in their way was a motivated LeBron James and Kyrie Irving in Cleveland. However, when an unfortunate knee injury to Irving left James as the only star, the Warriors moved in for the kill.

Even with key injuries to some of Cleveland’s best players, this series was far from easy. James played some of the best basketball of his career, scoring 123 total points across the first three games of the series.

The Cavs jumped out to a 2-1 series lead and it felt like nothing could slow down James’ onslaught. Then, Andre Iguodala stepped up in Finals MVP fashion.

Iggy changed the entire series with his gritty defense. He didn’t fully stop LBJ but he provided enough pressure to contain him. Most importantly, Iguodala drilled big-time shots when the Dubs needed it most.

After six tough games, the Warriors emerged as champions, capping off an unforgettable run and the first of three upcoming championships.