The Warriors like dares because of the doubt in which they come packaged. They enjoy the impossible being dangled before them, because snatching the carrot speaks more volumes about their greatness than any words they can utter.
So here is a dare: 16-0.
Yeah, that does sound absolutely ridiculous. Undefeated through the two-months-long NBA playoffs? Capture the coveted Larry O’Brien Trophy without losing? Unimaginable.
Which is why it can’t be ruled out. If anything is clear, that’s what this Warriors season has been about, pulling off the ridiculous. The unfathomable is their bucket list. The moment they sniff the chance to do what no team has done, they go for it — especially when people start saying they can’t pull it off.
They started the season on a roll, immediately answering skepticism of their championship run. Once the record for wins to start a season was in view, they went for it and got it. Then the talk was the Los Angeles Lakers’ record 33-game win streak and they went for that, too.
They were open about wanting to go 41-0 at home. When critics and experts picked their opponents, the Warriors really sent a message.
Of course, the biggest dare of them all was 73. Draymond Green said Michael Jordan, at the All-Star game in Toronto, told him to get the record, long held as one of sports’ most celebrated team accomplishments. And the Warriors went for it.
They got it despite logging more than 53,000 miles — most in the league and 20,000 miles more than the 72-10 Bulls. And playing 15 games against teams with 50 wins. And with the nation watching.
A 60-win season wasn’t enough, neither was a 70-win season. Nor was the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference playoffs. And merely winning a second consecutive championship might not be, either.
Next up for the Warriors could be more history. The Los Angeles Lakers of 2000-01 went 15-1, back when the first round was a best-of-five. The 1991 Bulls, Jordan’s first championship team, went 15-2. The 1996 Bulls went 15-3. The 1983 76ers went 12-1, nearly pulling off Moses Malone’s “fo’, fo’, fo’ ” prediction.
The best record since a championship required 16 wins was the 2007 Spurs going 16-4.
Can the Warriors top that? Can they finish 16-1, giving them the best postseason percentage of all time? Can they run off a 16-game win streak and indict their critics?
If you are thinking no, the answer is yes.
The Warriors looked lively Friday. Many were concerned about them resting instead of going for 73. But after their first practice before the second season, they seemed energetic. Coaches said the players had fresh legs in practice and their spirits were obviously high.
They didn’t feel like a team coming out of a near-death fight with history.
A healthy and spry Warriors squad — Andre Iguodala and Festus Ezeli are revived after missing time in March and April — is trouble for whomever it faces. If it treats these like it did “big games” during the year, beating it will be tough — as evidenced by its 37-5 record against teams in these playoffs.
Houston is in danger of being swept. The Warriors beat them in five games in last year’s Western Conference finals. This time, the Warriors are better and the Rockets are worse.
There is always a chance James Harden goes off one game or Houston gets hot from 3-point land and the Rockets steal one. But the Warriors can still win even if the Rockets catch fire.
If the Rockets can’t win a game against the Warriors, can the Clippers or Trail Blazers in the second round? The Warriors have every reason to play lights out against both: the Clippers because that’s a rival and the Blazers because they put a whipping on the Dubs.
Undoubtedly, the Oklahoma City Thunder and San Antonio have the tools to give the Warriors problems. But they managed one win against Golden State between them during the regular season.
Yes, I’m putting the Warriors in the NBA Finals. A second straight title is an easy prediction. So easy, they could stumble in the playoffs if they get bored, lulled into a poor performance or by an uninspired matchup. That’s probably the best chance the Warriors have of losing.
Unless they see this dare.
Read Marcus Thompson II’s blog at blogs.mercurynews.com/thompson. Contact him at mthomps2@bayareanewsgroup.com. Follow him on Twitter at twitter.com/ThompsonScribe.
