After completing the feat of 5 years and 3 crowns, the Warriors fell into a trough, and in the past two seasons, the team became a league fish belly, during which they even got the eye of the list and selected Wiseman as the eye show.
Even so, last season, the Warriors failed to turn things around, and the team missed the playoffs for two consecutive seasons.
Just when everyone thought that the Warriors would enter a new round of reconstruction, the Warriors quickly returned to the championship without completing a big deal.
So far this season, the team has achieved an impressive record of 30 wins and 10 losses, and although the team has been overtaken by the Suns due to recent fluctuations in the record, the Warriors still occupy the second place in the league.
So why did the Warriors quickly return to the contenders this season without peddling a few lotto shows and completing other big deals?
The US media "Bluemanhoop" also gave three reasons, and believed that if the Warriors can maintain these three advantages, they will be difficult to defeat in the playoffs.
First point: rebounding ability
Everyone knows the importance of rebounding, after all, every extra rebound in the front court means one more offensive opportunity.
The Warriors have been very bad at rebounding in the past two seasons, even in the 5 years and 3 crowns period, rebounding and interior line are also the team's shortcomings, but this season the Warriors have unexpectedly improved this aspect.
Even against the Cavaliers, who have the best interior configuration in the league, the Warriors still showed the strength of the team, grabbed 22 frontcourt rebounds, and completely dominated the opponent.
The Warriors did have some bonuses to welcome Klay's return, but this game's performance is also a microcosm of the Warriors' improvement in rebounding so far in the season, and so far this season, the team has ranked third in the league in terms of rebounds per game.
Looney is undoubtedly an unsung hero, he averaged a career-high 6.7 rebounds per game, and although his height is not dominant, he is not afraid to compete against other big men.
Dream chasing is to hand over the team's highest 7.6 rebounds, Curry and Little Otto Porter can also average more than 5 rebounds per game, it is clear that the Warriors do not have a player with an average rebounds per game is very exaggerated, but the whole team is desperate to grab, which is also the epitome of the team's positive state this season.
Second point: first-class defensive ability
Because of the splash brothers' excellent offensive ability, the outside world often ignores the Warriors' defense, in fact, the Warriors have always been one of the best defensive teams in the league.
This season, the Warriors have further improved this advantage, and the dream-chasing state has become a strong contender for the best defensive player, and it has once again become the warriors' well-deserved defensive core.
Wiggins has transformed again this season, can handle any attacker on the flanks, not only has the height, but also has enough to keep up with anyone.
In addition, the Warriors also found Peyton II, a defensive wizard, whose "rough" steals ability is impressive.
Coupled with players like Iguodala, Otto Porter Jr., Anderson, Cumminga and Looney, as well as Curry, who played his best defensive performance, the Warriors became the league's first-gear defensive team.
With Clay back, if he can gradually get back to defensive form, then the Warriors will undoubtedly hand over the league's only defensive performance.
Third point: unparalleled depth and cohesion
This season, the Warriors not only welcomed back curry, Klay, and dream chaser, but also bet on new signings such as Otto Porte Jr., Iguodala, and Bjelica in the offseason, and several players were almost seamlessly integrated into the team system.
Coupled with the selection of Kuminga and Moody, as well as the explosive growth of Poole, and the search for Poole, the depth of the Warriors' lineup is terrifying.
At the same time, the Warriors played a passing rate of 69.3%, which is not only the first in the league, but also the highest performance of the warriors after 2017, even if the timeline is extended to 2005 to the present, this data is also ranked second, which shows the unparalleled cohesion and teamwork within the Warriors.