Goal 2. Do Not Become Complacent

During the past two regular seasons for the Warriors, there was what some fans called a “championship hangover” when they won two championships in a row. It is natural for championship teams to get complacent the following regular season just coming off a title-winning year. They cruise past teams in the playoffs and win on the championship stage. It’s no different for the Warriors.

Since Durant signed in the summer of 2016, the Warriors had to get acclimated and in sync to how he would fit in with the rest of the team and once that was done, they motored to a league-best 67 wins, and eventually won the NBA title in five games over the Cleveland Cavaliers.

There were some nights during the 2016-2017 where the Warriors struck a death blow after trailing with grenade-like threes from Durant, Curry, and Thompson. From then on, they would cruise to 20-30 point victories, but there would be times when Golden State eased up on the gas and would let a 24-point lead into an 11-point lead. This is the type of complacency that has plagued the Warriors the past two years.

Now, last season might have been the most complacent the Warriors have been in the regular season throughout this four-year run. This was a season where all four stars played a combined 41 games of the regular season. That’s exactly half of the regular season. But as the Warriors have done in the past, they have raced out to seemingly insurmountable leads to only giving up most or all of the lead they splashed to get it.

Despite their complacency and injuries to the star players and other key guys for Golden State, they finished with 58 wins and the second seed in the Western Conference.

This upcoming season, however, should be easier to not be complacent and stay hungry for more success. Cousins is on the mend and they are in play for a third consecutive NBA title. That should give them all the motivation and hunger to not become complacent.

Next Up: Goal 1