The Golden State Warriors were the biggest force in the NBA for the last five years, making five consecutive trips to the Finals during that time, setting new records in the league and winning three titles.
- 2015/16 Starting Lineup: Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Harrison Barnes, Draymond Green, Andrew Bogut
- 2016/17 Starting Lineup: Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Kevin Durant, Draymond Green, Zaza Pachulia
- 2017/18 Starting Lineup: Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Kevin Durant, Draymond Green, Zaza Pachulia
- 2018/19 Starting Lineup: Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Kevin Durant, Kevon Looney, Draymond Green
- 2019/20: Stephen Curry, Damion Jones, Andrew Wiggins, Draymond Green, Marquese Chriss
The Dubs count with Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green as their core, but they’ve had other stars that took this team to the top of the association, beating their rivals on the way to be the best, yet the most hated team in the NBA. The evolution of the Warriors has been one to remember.
If you see how things were for them in the 2015/16 season and compare it to this campaign, you’ll see two completely different teams. Today, we’re going to take a look at how things have changed for Golden State on the floor. Here is the evolution of the Warriors and their starting lineups in the past five seasons.
2015/16 Starting Lineup: Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Harrison Barnes, Draymond Green, Andrew Bogut
The 2015/16 is considered the greatest season in NBA history, and the Warriors are largely responsible for that. The Dubs entered the season as the defending champions of the world, taking things to the next level that season.
They had a terrific regular season, setting the best ever regular-season record of 73–9, breaking the Chicago Bulls 72-10 record set in the 1995/96 season. They returned a 3-1 disadvantage versus the Oklahoma City Thunder in the WCF, before losing in the same way against the Cleveland Cavaliers in the Finals. They didn’t win the title, but that season will be hard to forget for Golden State.
2016/17 Starting Lineup: Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Kevin Durant, Draymond Green, Zaza Pachulia
After the dramatic loss in the Finals against the Cleveland Cavaliers, the Warriors took revenge on LeBron James and company the next season. They already had a great core with Curry, Thompson and Green, but in the summer of 2016, they added Kevin Durant to their already powerful squad.
KD joined the Warriors and led them to a 67-15 record in the West, recording a 16-1 record in the postseason, winning the NBA title that year, with Durant earning the Finals MVP. This was the continuation of the Warriors’ domination in the NBA, as KD stated he was ready to conquer the world with his new team.
2017/18 Starting Lineup: Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Kevin Durant, Draymond Green, Zaza Pachulia
Things stayed pretty much the same in the 2017/18 season for the Dubs. They maintained the same starting lineup from last season, looking to repeat the title and continue their dominance in the association after a 58-24 record in the regular season.
Their biggest rivals that year were the Houston Rockets, and they engaged in a big battle with James Harden and company, defeating them in Houston in the 7th game of the WCF. They swept the Cavaliers in the Finals, winning their third title in four years. It looks like nothing could stop the Warriors in the NBA, but this league always surprises you.
2018/19 Starting Lineup: Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Kevin Durant, Kevon Looney, Draymond Green
Last season, as usual, the Warriors were considered the biggest favorites to win it all in the league. They finished the regular season with a 57-25 record, ranking first in the West, looking ready to dominate on their way to the Finals. They didn’t have much competition in the postseason, beating their rivals easily until they got to the Finals.
When everybody thought the Warriors were going to win their third straight NBA title and the fourth in five years, Kawhi Leonard and the Toronto Raptors told otherwise. It’s mandatory to say the Warriors lost DeMarcus Cousins, Kevin Durant and Klay Thompson in the postseason and the Finals. The Raptors took advantage of that situation and beat Golden State in six games.
2019/20: Stephen Curry, Damion Jones, Andrew Wiggins, Draymond Green, Marquese Chriss
This season everything changed for the Dubs. They lost Kevin Durant to the Brooklyn Nets in free agency, Klay Thompson went down with an injury during the 2019 Finals, so the picture didn’t look good for them entering the campaign. To make things worse, Stephen Curry broke his left hand in the fourth game of the season, missing a big chunk of the campaign.
They signed D’Angelo Russell in free agency, too, but that experiment didn’t work out for them. They ended up trading D’Lo to the Minnesota Timberwolves and got Andrew Wiggins in return.
Before the NBA suspended the season last March, Curry had played only 5 games in the season and the Warriors had the worst record in the league (15-50), focusing more on developing their young talent and preparing for next season, when things will be once again interesting for the Dubs. They will have Curry and Thompson back, as well as a lottery pick, which could help the Warriors to land a big star or add a very good prospect on draft night.
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