Thanks to their core of Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, and Draymond Green, the Golden State Warriors club is one of the most successful franchises in recent memory, winning four NBA titles in that time period.
That trio has proven to be one of the best trios in recent memory because they truly connect on the court and seem like best friends off the court. Credit must also go to iconic head coach Steve Kerr who has helped change the NBA forever with how his players shoot the ball. No doubt, Kerr brought the absolute best out of his players on the court.
Of course, the Warriors also made a significant acquisition when they traded for 4-time scoring champion and bonafide superstar Kevin Durant before the 2017 season. The Big Four of Curry, Klay, Durant, and Green was too much to handle, and they dominated the competition en route to NBA titles in 2017 and 2018. Even without Durant in 2022, the Warriors won an NBA title thanks to Steph, Klay, Green, and newcomers Andrew Wiggins and Jordan Poole playing significant roles. With 4 NBA titles over the past decade, the Warriors are the best franchise when looking back 10 years.
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It is time to go back and look at the evolution of the Warriors’ starting lineups for the past 10 years since the 2014 season. We already saw how the Lakers shuffled their lineups over the past 10 seasons, and let’s dive a bit deeper by looking at the Golden State Warriors, the most successful franchise in the past decade. It is very interesting to see how the NBA’s most recently successful franchise has organized its lineups over the past decade, and these are the Warriors’ starting lineups in the past ten seasons.
2013-14 Golden State Warriors
Starting Lineup: Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Andre Iguodala, David Lee, Andrew Bogut
Regular Season Record: 51-31
Playoffs: Lost 1st Round vs. Los Angeles Clippers 4-3
The 2014 season was the first year in which the Golden State Warriors seemed to be priming themselves for an NBA title. They did their best to make the playoffs in 2014 and did well enough to finish 6th in the Western Conference. Golden State was building with Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson looking like stars (24.0 PPG and 18.4 PPG, respectively), but there was one piece that would arrive as a star in the following year.
The Warriors did well with Andrew Iguodala at the wing spot and a talented two-way duo of Lee and Bogut competing inside. But Golden State needed more offense and a leader at the power forward position that can defend, rebound, and pass. The following year, Draymond Green would become the starter for the Warriors and make a difference for the franchise.
2014-15 Golden State Warriors
Starting Lineup: Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Harrison Barnes, Draymond Green, Andrew Bogut
Regular Season Record: 67-15
Playoffs: Won NBA Finals vs. Cleveland Cavaliers 4-2
The Warriors became NBA champions in 2015 because Draymond Green improved his numbers across the board, and Stephen Curry arrived as one of the best players in the world. Green put up 11.7 PPG, 8.2 RPG, 3.7 APG, 1.6 SPG, and 1.3 BPG as the most versatile defender on the team. Stephen Curry, the team’s superstar, averaged 23.8 PPG and 7.7 APG while winning his first MVP award.
With Steph as the MVP of the league and Klay Thompson posting 21.7 PPG, the Warriors had the two best shooters in the NBA. With Green slotting into the lineup with the star backcourt, the Warriors changed the game with how they played. Andre Iguodala came off the bench to win Finals MVP in the NBA Finals, while Harrison Barnes, Shaun Livingston, and Andrew Bogut played critical roles.
2015-16 Golden State Warriors
Starting Lineup: Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Harrison Barnes, Draymond Green, Andrew Bogut
Regular Season Record: 73-9
Playoffs: Lost NBA Finals vs. Cleveland Cavaliers 4-3
The 2015-16 season was one of the greatest seasons of all time. Stephen Curry won his second straight MVP award in unanimous fashion as he led the Golden State Warriors to a 73-9 record which also broke the record for most wins. In some ways, the 2016 Warriors became the greatest team in NBA history as they beat the 1996 Chicago Bulls record of 72-10.
Despite being up 3-1 in the NBA Finals against LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers, the Warriors could not close the deal. LeBron and Kyrie Irving led an iconic comeback from a 3-1 deficit to defeat the Warriors in 7 games, closing out thanks to an Irving game-winner. The Warriors suffered in the Finals despite a historic season, but joy would return the next two years thanks to the arrival of Kevin Durant.
2016-17 Golden State Warriors
Starting Lineup: Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Kevin Durant, Draymond Green, Zaza Pachulia
Regular Season Record: 67-15
Playoffs: Won NBA Finals vs. Cleveland Cavaliers 4-1
The Warriors won it all in 2017, thanks to Kevin Durant’s acquisition. The 4-time scoring champion made the Warriors unbeatable because no team could compete with 4 All-Stars and 3 elite offensive players. To no one’s surprise, the Warriors had an unbelievable regular-season record with 67 wins. As great as Harrison Barnes was, Kevin Durant made the team unbeatable.
In the NBA Finals, Golden State defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers in 5 games, with Durant winning the Finals MVP award. Durant, Curry, and Klay each averaged at least 22 PPG in the regular season, with Durant and Curry each averaging at least 28 PPG in the playoffs. The following year, the Warriors would win it all again, with their new Big Four setting a difference for them.
2017-18 Golden State Warriors
Starting Lineup: Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Kevin Durant, Draymond Green, Zaza Pachulia
Regular Season Record: 58-24
Playoffs: Won NBA Finals vs. Cleveland Cavaliers 4-0
With Kevin Durant on the team again, alongside Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson on the perimeter, the Warriors had it enough to dominate the competition. Draymond Green and Zaza Pachulia were the frontcourt partners again, as they occupied the paint and did their part on a physical level. With 58 wins, the Warriors had stiff competition with the Houston Rockets, who had 65 wins in the season.
The Warriors took care of business against the Houston Rockets in the Western Conference Finals, with Chris Paul missing Game 6 and Game 7 with injury. Golden State made quick work in the NBA Finals against the Cleveland Cavaliers again, with Durant posting 28.8 PPG and 10.8 RPG in the NBA Finals to win his second straight Finals MVP award. Even if most didn’t like the move, Durant’s decision to join Golden State altered the NBA landscape.
2018-19 Golden State Warriors
Starting Lineup: Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Kevin Durant, Draymond Green, DeMarcus Cousins
Regular Season Record: 57-25
Playoffs: Lost NBA Finals vs. Toronto Raptors 4-2
With Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Kevin Durant, and Draymond Green remaining the Big Four of the team, the Golden State Warriors had 57 wins and once again found themselves in the NBA Finals in a showdown against the Toronto Raptors. Golden State had three top scorers in Curry (27.3 PPG), Durant (26.0 PPG), and Klay (21.5 PPG) all season long, but injuries to Durant and Klay killed the team’s chances in the Finals.
The Toronto Raptors took care of business in the Finals, defeating the Warriors in 6 games thanks to Kawhi Leonard’s incredible presence as a two-way superstar. Toronto took advantage of Golden State’s injuries and took care of business to end the Kevin Durant era in Golden State as the superstar forward would move on to Brooklyn in the following season.
2019-20 Golden State Warriors
Starting Lineup: D’Angelo Russell, Damion Lee, Glen Robinson III, Draymond Green, Willie Cauley-Stein
Regular Season Record: 15-50
Playoffs: Missed Playoffs
Despite making the NBA Finals in 2019, the Golden State Warriors had an absolutely horrific season in 2020 because Stephen Curry only played 5 games, Klay Thompson did not play at all in the season due to injury, and Kevin Durant departed. The Warriors acquired D’Angelo Russell to have star power, but the guard could not make up for the team’s damaged core.
Russell averaged 23.6 PPG, but nobody else put up 20 PPG on the roster in qualifying minutes. Draymond felt pressure for not being able to lead the team to more wins, although that is beyond the scope of his skill set. Luckily, the Warriors would gain valuable draft picks because their season was a disaster in terms of the team record.
2020-21 Golden State Warriors
Starting Lineup: Stephen Curry, Andrew Wiggins, Kelly Oubre Jr, Draymond Green, Kevon Looney
Regular Season Record: 39-33
Playoffs: Missed Playoffs
Once again, the Golden State Warriors missed the playoffs in 2021 despite the presence of Stephen Curry and Draymond Green. D’Angelo Russell was traded, and Wiggins gained more minutes while Jordan Poole and James Wiseman welcomed themselves on the roster. Curry was healthy enough to play 63 games, Andrew Wiggins played 71 games, and Draymond appeared in 63 games. Golden State was better on the floor but could not win enough games.
No doubt, the Warriors were betting that Klay Thompson’s return in the 2022 season would be enough to push the team to another championship. Without Klay, Steph was missing his running partner, and not even the young presences of Wiggins and Poole would be enough just yet. Luckily, things would change in 2022.
2021-22 Golden State Warriors
Starting Lineup: Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Andrew Wiggins, Draymond Green, Kevon Looney
Regular Season Record: 53-29
Playoffs: Won NBA Finals vs. Boston Celtics 4-2
Klay Thompson made his much-anticipated return, Stephen Curry was still a superstar, Draymond Green was a leader, and the young players rose to the occasion in 2022. Andrew Wiggins became an All-Star starter by posting 17.2 PPG and 4.5 RPG, Curry was an MVP candidate by posting 25.5 PPG, Klay appeared in 32 games, and Jordan Poole almost won 6th Man of the Year.
The Warriors regrouped with their stars healthy again alongside other role players. Golden State finished with the 3rd seed in the West and had the most experience in their playoff victories against the Denver Nuggets, Memphis Grizzlies, Dallas Mavericks, and Boston Celtics. Stephen Curry also won his first Finals MVP award and proved he could win as the best player on the team in a series without Kevin Durant.
2022-23 Golden State Warriors
Starting Lineup: Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Andrew Wiggins, Draymond Green, Kevon Looney
Regular Season Record: 26-25
Playoffs: TBD
The 2023 season is one of disappointment so far, as the Warriors are 26-25 and do not look like a title contender by any means. Curry, Klay, Poole, and Wiggins are still the cornerstones of the team, except that Draymond Green might have worn out his welcome. The versatile forward famously punched out Jordan Poole in practice, and that did not sit well with the franchise because he is not on the level of the talented young shooting guard at this moment. So far, Green is posting 7.9 PPG, 7.5 RPG, and 6.8 APG on 32.5% 3-PT FG, which are solid but unimpressive numbers considering the trouble he caused.
The Warriors also look unprepared for another championship run, and a championship hangover is a very real thing. Curry, Klay, and Poole are all averaging at least 20 PPG, but the team lacks size since Green is past his best, and Kevon Looney lacks enough impact. There are rumors that Golden State will make moves (by finally trading James Wiseman) before the trade deadline because sitting 7th in the West with a 26-25 record is not good enough.
Source: https://fadeawayworld.net
