Final score: 93-89. Golden State Warriors fans everywhere were devastated by the loss in the last game of the 2016 National Basketball Association (NBA) finals.
After a record breaking season where they went 72-10, the Warriors lost the championship title to the Cleveland Cavaliers. Angered fans and spectators across the country wondered how it was even possible to lose the Finals after holding a 3-1 lead with only one more win to grasp the championship.
A few weeks after the overwhelming loss however, the franchise announced that they would sign former Oklahoma City Thunder superstar Kevin Durant into the starting lineup. Durant had a 50.5 shooting percentage in the 2016 regular season, along with 28.4 points per game making him making him one of the best prospects in the game.
Ecstatic with the gift of one of the best players in the league joining the team, expectations of Warriors fans have escalated.
“Expectations for the Warriors are sky high,” said senior Andrew Vargha, a devout Warriors fan. “It’s championship or bust.”
Anticipation for this upcoming season has skyrocketed with the addition of Durant and the loss of the last chamionship.With star point guard Stephen Curry joining forces with Durant, the Warriors have the only two players to receive the Most Valuable Player (MVP) award in the last three years. This alone is a promising statistic and should be an intimidating propect to opposing teams around the country.
Although this seems promising, some student fans think that the formidable team will be seen as overpowered. Even if the team plays admirably, people may discredit the Warriors’ performance due to their talented cast.
“With [Durant] as an addition, we have two MVP candidates right there in the team, not to mention Draymond Green and Klay Thompson. That being said, it’s unfortunate that since he’s on the team, the Warriors are considered a ‘super team.’ It’s not to say that I don’t think he’s going to be a great addition to the team, he will be. But now it takes away from some of the achievements. No matter what happens this year, there are going to be critics saying it wouldn’t have happened without KD.”
Senior Nick Smallwood
Along with Curry and Durant, the franchise will have two of their star players returning. As mentioned by Smallwood, Draymond Green and Klay Thompson will also have a huge impact on the next season.
In Green’s career, he has a field goal percentage of 44, and Thompson has a field goal percentage of 45 along with a three point percentage of 42. Both are stats that increase to the prestige of the Warriors franchise.
People all around the country believe that the Warriors already have the championship in the bag for the upcoming season. However, this is also what many people thought last year, and it ended in heartbreak.
If the Warriors are able to clench the championship title, many opposing fans around the country will claim that it is not a fair win because of the prestige of the franchise this coming season. Is it the corruption of power or the fear of demolition that motivates such actions?
Will the Warriors win the championship like everyone is expecting or will they fail to meet expectations as they did last year?
