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Warriors season preview: Curry, Durant ready to complete 3-peat

Three titles in four years. A record-setting 73-win season. Countless 3-point marks broken.

With the exception of a three-game stretch to end the 2016 Finals, the Warriors have had a magical four-year run since hiring Steve Kerr. Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson have broken opposing defenses, rewritten the record books and accelerated the league’s adoption of 3-point shooting. Draymond Green’s Swiss army knife defense has changed how teams scout players to fit in the pace-and-space and small ball movements. And for good measure they have the world’s most unfair mismatch in Kevin Durant, an all-time great scorer.

Already among the best teams ever, the Warriors are seeking to complete the sixth 3-peat in league history. The Lakers and Bulls have each done it twice and the Celtics accomplished it once, winning a record eight straight with Bill Russell. If not for a Green shot to the groin of LeBron James in the 2016 Finals, the Warriors could be entering this season as only the second team to win four straight titles.

With free agency looming next summer for Durant and Thompson, it could be the last hurrah for this Golden State group. While Thompson has repeatedly said that he plans to stay in the Bay for the long haul, rumors of Durant’s future have swirled constantly. Yahoo Sports’ Chris Haynes reported that the Knicks will be a serious contender to sign the two-time Finals MVP in free agency. Durant is playing on another one-year deal, and his offseason plans will be one of the league’s biggest storylines this year.

If Durant does decide to return, the Warriors will face difficult salary decisions around Thompson next summer and Green in 2020. Each took less than the max on their first big-money deals and might not be willing to sacrifice again.

But those are problems for the summer. The Warriors have a legendary collection of talent and this promises to be another dominant season.

X-Factor

Already featuring four All-Stars, the Warriors added a fifth in DeMarcus Cousins, who signed a one-year bargain deal as he recovers from a torn Achilles. He’ll miss the start of the season, and the track record for big men after Achilles injuries is bleak. Add Cousins’ mercurial personality to the equation, and it’s possible for the partnership to crumble.

If Cousins returns at anywhere near full strength by the start of the playoffs, however, then the Warriors should start booking another parade for mid-June. A dominant post threat has been the only missing ingredient during Golden State’s run, and Cousins could be the perfect fit.

Outlook

It’s the Warriors’ league for at least another year. Barring an injury to their core, the Warriors are a clear favorite to win their fourth title in five years. In reality, it might even take two injuries for another team to knock them off.

The Rockets pushed the Warriors to the brink in the playoffs and will be their top competition this season. If the Warriors once again reach the Finals, they will have a new opponent after LeBron James departed Cleveland for Los Angeles. The Celtics, Raptors and 76ers are the favorites in the Eastern Conference.

Entering their fifth season as title contenders, the Warriors will once again have to battle fatigue and boredom during the regular season. Kerr, a champion during his playing career, knows when to pick his battles during the monotonous 82-game schedule. Houston may end up with the No. 1 seed again, but it only means so much when a team as stacked as Golden State stands in your way.

If the Cousins signing doesn’t work out, the Warriors could find themselves thin in the front court after David West’s retirement and JaVale McGee and Zaza Pachulia leaving in free agency. There are few teams that are equipped to punish the Warriors down low and Kerr has a cheat code in his back pocket: Durant at center. Good luck matching up with the deadliest 7-foot scorer in league history.

This will be the team’s final year playing at Oracle Arena in Oakland before moving to the Chase Center in San Francisco next year. A year from now the Warriors figure to be christening their new arena with a ring ceremony.

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