Whatever happens with the Raptors, the Warriors dynasty is not over

The Golden State Warriors have their backs against the ropes down 3-1 against the Toronto Raptors in the NBA Finals. Could this be the end of an era?

Since Steve Kerr took over as head coach of the Golden State Warriors in the Summer of 2014, the Warriors have made it to the NBA Finals every season.

Golden State has won three of the last four NBA titles, but now they face an opponent in the Toronto Raptors that have built the perfect team to combat the sweet-shooting, free-flowing motion offense that has powered the Warriors to top dog status. With the Raptors ahead 3-1 and Game 5 tonight on their home court, smart money is on Toronto closing it out and capturing their first NBA championship in franchise history.

Then, the real drama begins.

Splash Brother, Klay Thompson, is set to be a free agent and the word has spread around that he will not be taking a hometown discount to remain with Golden State. Kevin Durant, whose absence in the NBA Finals has shaped the series, will also be a free agent this summer and it seems like the entire league has him penciled in to being a New York Knick next season.

Draymond Green is extension-eligible this summer and like Thompson, he’s made it well known that he took the last pay cut of his career back in 2015 when he signed a five-year, $82 million extension.

That’s three of the four players that helped create the dynastic run that the Warriors have been on the last five years. Even if they don’t win these Finals, they will have won three of the past five titles — a run that few franchises have ever experienced in the NBA. Naturally, with this much change on the horizon, a loss tonight would seem like a good time to tie a bow on the Warriors dynasty as we’ve come to know it. But I don’t think this is the last we’ll see of Golden State’s core on this stage.

Andre Iguodala had this to say about the Warriors future, “I’ll be here next year for sure, and I’m pretty confident that we’ll have our core back and we’ll try to make another run at it.” Exactly who is part of that core is open to interpretation — if you read some of the articles coming from Bay Area media outlets it would seem that Durant isn’t (and never has been) part of it.

Steve Kerr has openly stated that Kevon Looney (another pending free agent) is now part of that core after his strong postseason performance. If the Warriors bring back Stephen Curry, Green, Iguodala, Looney, and Thompson that’s a lineup that has performed admirably, albeit in small chunks.

That five-man unit played less than 100 minutes together during the postseason, but they were proficient offensively scoring 21.3 points in eight and a half minutes with 52.8/40/77.8 shooting splits from the field, 3-point range, and from the free throw line.

A seven-man rotation of Curry/Thompson/Iguodala/Green/Damian Jones/Looney/Alfonzo McKinnie is more than enough to keep Golden State’s head above water. Add in restricted free agents Jordan Bell and Quinn Cook that’s enough to keep Kerr preaching “Strength in Numbers” for another season.

If Durant and DeMarcus Cousins both decide to leave the Warriors will still be cash-strapped, but they’ll have a full mid-level an bi-annual exceptions to use this summer giving them a little over $12 million (according to earlybirdrights.com) to fill out their roster. Targeting the right players will go a long way towards stabilizing this team if Durant decides his time with the team is done.

In Game 3 of the NBA Finals, we saw Curry erupt for 47 points with Durant AND Thompson both sidelined. Taking away a talent of Durant’s caliber provides Curry with a reason to revert back to unanimous MVP Steph — a feat we’ve seen him pull out several times this season alone. Who knows, maybe Thompson takes another leap in his all-around offensive game — he’s quietly gotten better at putting the ball on the floor to score lately — and the Splash Brothers as a tandem are able to cover up the Durant-sized hole in the roster.

Before proclaiming themselves light-years ahead, signing Durant, and becoming the NBA’s latest (and lamest) villains, the Warriors were the punchy, fresh-faced, up-and-comers beloved by the masses for their egoless stars and spread-the-wealth style of offense. They could easily recapture all of that next season and find themselves in the NBA Finals for a sixth straight season.