Our next franchise is the reigning champion of the NBA, who, interestingly enough, won a championship in their first year of existence as well (1947, in the Basketball Association of America). They were a powerhouse in the league’s nascent years, winning a second championship in 1956, and employing some of the greatest players in league history. Despite a long period of failure after their third championship run in 1975, their rich history makes them ideally suited for a tournament of this nature. Now riding a new wave of franchise success, the all-time Golden State Warriors team features a mix of legendary play makers from different eras of time.
Stephen Curry, the only active player on the team, is the starting point guard. Already, Curry has established himself as one of the greatest shooters in league history, and he has a debilitating effect on opposing defenses. Hall-of-Famer ‘Pitchin’ Paul Arizin, a pioneer who also was one of the league’s great shooters, is the starting two guard. Arizin was a two-time scoring champion who went to the all-star game every year of his career, and was one of the 10 players selected to the league’s 25th Anniversary Team. This may be the best shooting starting backcourt in the tournament, and they’re backed up by two premier playmakers (Tim Hardaway and Guy Rodgers), a high-scoring shooter (Jeff Mullins), and a versatile, defensive-minded swingman who John Wooden once called “the greatest all-around basketball player” ever (Tom Gola).
The starting frontcourt is as prolific as any in the tournament. Rick Barry, a brilliant all-around offensive talent who led the team to their third championship, is the small forward. He’s joined by two of the great big men in NBA history. Neil Johnston used a devastating sweeping hook shot to lead the league in scoring three straight years. He was also efficient, leading the league in field percentage three times, true shooting percentage twice, and PER once. Unfortunately, he hasn’t received the accolades that other legends have; he was left off of the league’s 10-man Silver Anniversary team because only two centers were up for selection (George Mikan and Bill Russell received those honors), and he was left off the league’s 50-man Golden Anniversary team because, well, he got screwed. Wilt Chamberlain, the starting center, put up the cartoonish averages of 41.5 PPG and 25.1 RPG as a Warrior. He led the league in scoring every year he was with the franchise. In his five full seasons as a Warrior, he led the league in win shares per 48 minutes each year, and in rebounding and PER four times. He somehow averaged 47.2 minutes a game with the team, and may have been the greatest athlete to ever play his position. There’s no denying that the Golden State (Philadelphia and San Francisco at the time) version of Wilt was polarizing; in his five full seasons with the franchise, they never won 50 or more games, and had a cumulative .566 winning percentage (the equivalent of 46 wins in an 82 game season). He was traded for an embarrassing haul to save money, and was famously obsessed with his personal accomplishments. Regardless, he was an unstoppable force, and, paired with the rest of this starting lineup, will help the team contend for highest scoring honors in this tournament.
Off the bench, the frontcourt has more firepower in sweet shooting Chris Mullin, an original Dream Team player who averaged over 25 PPG for five straight seasons in his prime. Joe Fulks was a two-time scoring champion who led the team to the title in their inaugural season. It’s very difficult to tell how his game would translate to other eras (he was a 6’5” power forward who shot 30.5% and 25.9% in his two league-leading scoring seasons), but he was highly regarded, named as one of four forwards on the league’s Silver Anniversary team. Nate Thurmond, a rebounding and defensive star who was named to the league’s Golden Anniversary team, rounds out the bench.
Explosiveness. Brilliant play making. Exceptional shooting. Young Wilt. The number five seed in our tournament, the Warriors may be our most entertaining team, and will be impossible for opponents to defend.
Coach: Al Attles
All-Time Franchise Winning Percentage (through 2014-15): .467