It’s been 20 years since the Golden State Warriors, also known as the Dubs (for W as in Double U), compiled at least 50 wins in an NBA season. And it’s been close to 40 years since the Dubs won the championship. For decades, loyal north California fans prayed for a turn of the corner. In 2006, coach Don Nelson was rehired to bring back Golden State’s glory days but couldn’t get it done after five seasons. He had a previous stint on the Dubs’ bench from 1988 to 1995. Even former PBA import Keith Smart got a crack at stemming the tide and he, too, fell short of expectations.
Then came Mark Jackson, a 17-year NBA veteran who averaged 9.6 points, 8.0 assists and 3.8 rebounds in 1,296 games. Jackson, 48, was brought in from the TV booth to put order in Golden State’s scheme of things. He had two things going for him – a high basketball IQ and the ability to communicate (he and wife Desiree are pastors with the True Love Worship Center International). But as a rookie coach, Jackson encountered a ton of problems as the Warriors posted a 23-43 mark during the lockout season in 2011-12, losing 22 of their last 28. Owners Peter Guber and Joe Lacob, who bought the franchise from Chris Cohan for $450 Million in 2010, kept their faith in Jackson who reorganized the roster for a major turnaround the next season. Jackson got rid of Monta Ellis, took in 7-foot Australian Andrew Bogut and risked his future with the high-scoring backcourt tandem of Steph Curry and Klay Thompson.
With a retooled lineup, Jackson steered the Warriors to a 47-35 record last campaign and No. 6 Golden State upset No. 3 Denver in the first round of the Western Conference playoffs. It was only the team’s second playoff appearance since 1994. The Warriors lost Game 1 on the road then won three straight over the Nuggets before clinching in Game 6 at home. In the second round, Golden State took on the highly-favored San Antonio Spurs. The odds didn’t faze Jackson. The Spurs escaped with a 129-127 double OT victory in Game 1 then lost Game 2 at home. The Warriors picked up another win in Game 4 but couldn’t hold off San Antonio who went on to battle Miami in the Finals. As a reward, management exercised Jackson’s option in 2014-15, a year before it was due.
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Jackson wasn’t done with his wheeling and dealing. Before this season started, he made more roster changes, moving out Jarrett Jack, former PBA import Dwayne Jones, Carl Landry, Richard Jefferson, Andris Biedrins and Brandon Rush to clear more than $20 million off the team’s salary cap. He recruited free agent Andre Iguodala who signed a four-year $48 million deal and inked veteran Jermaine O’Neal and backup point guard Toney Douglas to one-year contracts. Other new hires were 6-10 Marreese Speights, 6-3 Nemanja Nedovic of Serbia and 7-foot Ognjen Kuzmic of Bosnia. Back for another tour of duty were Curry, Thompson, Bogut, David Lee (who played in last year’s All-Star Game, the first Warrior to be picked since Latrell Sprewell in 1997), Harrison Barnes, Draymond Green, Kent Bozemore and Festus Ezeli.
Down the stretch, it will be health issues that could make life difficult for Jackson. O’Neal, 35, recently underwent right wrist arthroscopic surgery while Ezeli, a 6-11 Nigerian, won’t be ready until March after a knee operation. Jackson’s challenge is to shore up his bench. His priority is to find a reliable back-up for Curry because the crack guard is susceptible to injuries. Veterans Kirk Hinrich and Andre Miller are in Jackson’s radar for a possible trade. Douglas, a four-year veteran, isn’t working out and neither is Nedovic. If Jackson hopes to take the Warriors deep into the playoffs, he’ll need sturdier shock troopers.
In the Warriors’ 14-man roster, six are either rookies or sophomores and only Lee and O’Neal are 30 and over. Curry, 25, Thompson, 23, Barnes, 21, Bogut, 29 and Iguodala, 29 can carry the Warriors’ load for the next few years as long as they stay healthy. Those five plus Lee comprise Jackson’s nucleus. So far, they’ve done a solid job. Golden State is now tied with the Los Angeles Clippers for first place in the Pacific Division with identical 24-13 records. At this pace, the Warriors should go over 50 wins.
No team is hotter than the Warriors who have won 10 in a row. Mike Prada of SB Nation said Golden State’s early 14-13 record was deceiving since 14 of the first 22 games were on the road, only three of the first 31 were against lowly Eastern Conference teams, 13 of the first 30 were against the top nine teams and six of the first 30 were against the 10 worst. The 10-game win streak includes seven on the road, including the last six. Before the surge, the Warriors lost three of four. The turnaround wasn’t fashioned at the expense of low-lifers. Golden State’s victims in the streak included Miami, 123-114, Phoenix, 121-86, the Clippers, 105-103, the Los Angeles Lakers, 102-83 and Atlanta, 101-100.
Jackson has transformed the Warriors into an exciting, high-energy and confident squad. Curry, Thompson, Barnes and Igoudala are hitting over 40 percent from three-point distance and as a team, the Warriors are No. 3 in the league at .392 behind Portland (.399) and San Antonio (.394). Golden State is also No. 6 in field goal percentage (.465), No. 2 in rebounding (46.4) and No. 7 in assists (23.4). In December, the Dubs were 11-5 and this year, they’re still undefeated at 4-0.
Curry, who likes to be called the Baby-Faced Assassin, and Thompson are second-generation NBA players. Curry’s father Dell and Thompson’s father Mychal are NBA veterans. “There’s no other two players in a backcourt together that were born to shoot the basketball,†said Jackson. Curry is a deadly catch-and-shoot, transition-three bomber while Thompson thrives in pick-and-roll situations as the kick-out option. It’s remarkable how Jackson has gotten the Warriors to play on the same page. Even Iguodala doesn’t mind yielding the spotlight to Curry and Thompson. Jackson worked hard to develop that chemistry and now, he’s looking for insurance to keep it going through the playoffs.
The future is definitely bright for the Warriors who plan to move from the Oracle Arena in Oakland to a 13-acre location by the San Francisco waterfront overlooking the Bay Bridge by the 2017-18 season. Jackson’s vision is to bring a championship team to the new venue, meaning he’s got a four-year timetable from now to deliver a title to the Bay Area. It’s certainly a mission possible.