Golden State Ends Most Successful Regular Season in Franchise History

Following the almost meaningless game between the Golden State Warriors and Denver Nuggets Steve Kerr, the head coach for Golden State said his players and coached should take a few minutes to celebrate a great regular season. The Warriors finished the season 67-15. Golden State was 11 games in front of second place Houston in the Western Conference and had the best overall record in the league by seven games.

While some will want to move directly onto the postseason, it is important to note the transformation this team has taken over a very short period. The Warriors have gone from being considered a playoff hopeful to an NBA juggernaut. Even more amazing is it was done with the same players. This feat was amazing and deserves praise.

Golden State experienced its greatest single regular season. Some have become complacent with the Warriors success this season as it has continued in a steady flow since the opening game, yet if someone told you last October this would take place, most people would have responded with surprise.

Many projected the Warriors to win between 45 and 50 games and wind up as a sixth or seventh seed in the Western Conference. Those expectations were not unreasonable given the team had a rookie head coach and passed up a trade for Kevin Love.

Some thought they would be humbled this season, learn from firing a popular head coach and suffer embarrassment of overrating their own talent, including Klay Thompson. The refusal of the Warriors to part with Thompson for Love was looked at with surprise by most and as naïve by others.

Then there is the head coach. Kerr was more of a golf partner with Joe Lacob the team owner than a head coach.

This season for many was supposed to disappoint fans and players alike.

However, the players stepped up, most notably Stephen Curry who only three years ago was replaced by players who now are not even playing in the league. Curry had to go through stints with Don Nelson, Keith Smart and Mark Jackson and through it all he was professional and improved his game continually. Three seasons ago, some did not even see him as a future NBA star, today, Kerr is comparing him to players like Steve Nash.

Kerr has not just been impressive as a first year coach but of giving praise elsewhere by deflecting it from him.

In what for many was expected to be a season that humbled management, coaches and players has turned into a season that passed all expectations and is worth remembering regardless of what takes place during the postseason.