Warriors Window
How long with this dominance displayed by the Golden State Warriors last? That is a multifaceted question, but I will do my best to provide an answer.
There are only two factors that could hinder the Warriors going on a run of three, four, or maybe even five more titles. Those factors are: money and chemistry. That's it. If Golden State can manage to keep these two items a non-issue, we might be looking at an all-time great dynasty, regardless of sport. But if the Warriors allow money to become a deterrent, or for the team to implode from within, they could become one of the greatest "What-Ifs" in the history of sports.
Money ...... Kevin Durant and Steph Curry will both be free agents come July 1. Both will re-sign, it's just a formality. But Zaza Pachulia, Andre Iguodala, and Shaun Livingston are also free agents, and there is no guarantee that the three of them will return. They all sacrificed significant money to chase rings, and now that they have one - or in Livingston and Iguodala's case two- I would not at all be surprised if they decided to go to a team that is willing to overpay for their services. Losing any (and possibly all three) of these three would be a significant loss, but not one great enough to dethrone the Warriors as heavy favorites.
When I speak of money with regard to the Warriors, I am more so speaking in terms of the luxury tax and how much Joe Lacob, the Warriors owner, is willing to spend to field a contender. It has been estimated that over the course of the next 3 seasons the Warriors payroll could exceed $1 billion, including the luxury tax and repeater tax bill that they would be forced to pay under league rules. That averages out to upwards of $300 million per year coming out of Joe Lacob's pocket. That is a steep price to pay even with an all-time great team. If Joe Lacob doesn't care about having to spend a couple extra hundred million dollars, so long as it means more rings, then the Warriors should remain intact for the foreseeable future. If he becomes frugal or becomes stoic after seeing the Warriors win multiple titles, he might be unwilling to pay an inordinate amount of money, no matter how good the team might be.
Chemistry ..... Kevin Durant fit in with this Warrior team seamlessly. His unselfish play was a joy to watch. What was pushed under the rug a bit though was the manner in which Klay Thompson suddenly became a gadget. He was no longer needed for the Warriors to be successful, but he was a nice luxury to have. While the Warriors might be okay with Klay becoming more of a supplemental piece, I am sure that he is not in favor of that. While he might not quibble about it in year one, if this continues I cannot see him just accepting becoming a third, or even fourth wheel. Especially when he could go to a contending team, like the Celtics or Spurs, and become option 1a. Klay is just one example of a Warrior player who might be upset with his role, but maybe Steph gets fed up with sharing the spotlight with KD; a spotlight that he at one point owned single-handedly. These are all possibilities. It will be up to Steve Kerr to keep his players mentally engaged and on the same page moving forward. If he can do that, and the team finances play out favorably we might be looking at a reincarnation of the Chicago Bulls of the 1990's.
