When Winning DOESN'T Cure Everything: How the Golden State Warriors' Historic Season Was a Failure

Confession time: as much as Steph Curry is my current favorite player in the NBA and as much as I cheer for the Golden State Warriors because I appreciated how they assembled their team, a small part of me had a Skip Bayless moment and hoped that they wouldn't win the title for selfish reasons.  It honestly wouldn't have been as interesting from a writer's perspective if all of the historic accomplishments that happened this year culminated in a second-straight championship.  When they struggled mightily and historically overcame the 3-1 deficit against the Oklahoma City Thunder in the Western Conference Finals, I was sure that they had momentum on their side.  When they went up 3-1 on the Cleveland Cavaliers in the Finals, I felt like my actual prediction was going to come true.  However, when Draymond Green got tossed for a game and Klay Thompson had his tricky "feelings" comments about LeBron James, I knew that King James and the Cavs were coming with the guillotine much like the Warriors came for Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook when they clowned Steph Curry's defense.  When the Cavs forced a Game 7, I didn't have a good feeling about the Warriors' chances, felt like Cleveland stole the momentum and, unfortunately, that bad feeling came true.  One of my good Facebook friends and fellow sports enthusiasts took me to task for saying that breaking the Bulls' 20-year record for regular season wins means nothing if they don't win the championship.  While I understand the historical gravity of their season, I stand by my assertion: the Golden State Warriors' 2015-16 season is a failure.  In explaining my adamant position, allow me to summarily dismiss any potential excuses...

Same Teams, Different Stakes: Why Picking a Side in the NBA Finals Is Harder Than Last Year

After achieving another historical feat by becoming the first team in NBA history to be the No. 1 seed with the league MVP but be down 3-1 in a playoff series to come back and win the series, the Golden State Warriors might just change some analysts and odds makers' minds about their rematch with LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers in the 2016 NBA Finals.  A lot of people including myself wrote off the defending champions' chances of accomplishing such a tall order, and we just assumed that the Oklahoma City Thunder would win the series and the Cavs would have a little easier path to the crown because most people didn't give OKC a chance against LeBron & Co.  However, living up to their namesake, the Warriors manifested an unprecedented amount of resolve, persistence and tenacity.  Although Steph Curry is my favorite player in the NBA right now and has been for the past three years, it's still hard to pick against King James as I have been a fan of his overall game, instant impact on any team for which he plays and being one of the most unselfish superstars that the game of basketball has ever seen since his high school days.  So as we prepare for what should be another thrilling matchup between the Warriors and the Cavs, allow me to explain how this year's NBA Finals is a little harder to pick than last year...

The Tuesday Slider Special (Vol. 1, No. 1)

I know...you're getting hungry, but please try to focus and wipe that drool off of the side of your mouth.  I don't want you getting committed somewhere by accident because you're reading this post.  Anyway, do you ever go out to eat and just want appetizers?  Specifically, do you ever have a taste for a burger, but you don't want the heaviness that comes with it or to have to split it in half--knowing the hassle that comes along with reheating a burger and recapturing the essence of it from the restaurant?  If on the menu, do you opt for the sliders instead to give you that taste for burgers without the need to be trotted out on a wheel barrel?  Well, in an effort to cover a wider array of topics without a five-to-seven-paragraph soliloquy for each one, I bring to you a brand new posting series: "The Tuesday Slider Special".  Quick takes from your soon-to-be favorite blogger that are easier to digest, but still filling nonetheless.  So without further ado, let's eat...