6 Reasons This Edition of the Golden State Warriors Is the Best Yet

The 2014-15 Golden State Warriors snapped a 40-year NBA title drought. Last season's bunch reeled off a record-setting 73 wins before suffering a championship-round collapse of historic proportions.

Both were great teams that carved their initials into the tree of basketball.

And yet, neither had a ceiling higher than that of the current club.

There are a million reasons—OK, there are actually six—to say that. Some jump off the page in a simple roster scan or a stroll through the stat sheet. Others rise from the always powerful internal fire known as motivation.

The Dubs have 19 wins to show for their last 20 trips to the hardwood. They're peaking at the perfect time and poised to cement their place as the greatest squad in franchise history.

Bench Has Everything

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These Warriors have a sub for every situation.

Savvy vets Andre Iguodala and Shaun Livingston are still around to provide calming influences. And James Michael McAdoo remains usable when defensive versatility becomes the most necessary skill for a backup big.

But Golden State's second team overhaul—once characterized as a downgrade—has allowed this unit to cover even more ground.

David West's ability to hit cutters in stride was only replicated on previous reserve squads when Andrew Bogut lost his starting spot. Patrick McCaw is the pesky, athletic defender last year's Warriors hoped Brandon Rush could be. Ian Clark spreads the floor better than previous spark plug Leandro Barbosa. When Matt Barnes gets healthy, he'll bring a new level of nastiness.

And who could forget JaVale McGee—a unique specimen even in this larger-than-life league. The uber-athletic center has emerged as quite possibly Golden State's favorite offensive toy. There's an almost comical commitment to targeting him in the lob game.

"It's amusing how much the Warriors force this pass even if it's not there," SB Nation's Mike Prada observed. "That's how much they love playing with a big man that can jump."

And why wouldn't they? McGee's vertical exploits further enhance the Dubs' offensive spacing. They thrashed opponents by 18.7 points per 100 possessions with McGee on the court in the regular season; that number is up to a ridiculous 42.2 through four playoff outings.

Playing for Coach

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Lost in the fun of Golden State's first-round slaughter was the ongoing concern for the well-being of head coach Steve Kerr.

The 51-year-old missed Games 3 and 4 while dealing with painful symptoms due to complications from back surgery he underwent almost two years ago. It's unclear when, or if, he'll return to the sidelines, as the same issues sidelined him for the first 43 games of last season.

The Warriors can win without their charismatic coach. President of basketball operations Bob Myers told 95.7 The Game's Afternoon Delight that Kerr has admitted as much himself (via SFGate's Kevin Lynch).

They'd prefer to have him around, not just for his tactical mind and refreshing approach, but also because it would mean he's physically improving.

"We all grew last year when Steve went out, so we know it a little bit better," assistant coach Bruce Fraser said, per Bay Area News Group's Tim Kawakami. "Doesn't mean we don't miss him. We miss his voice and his intellect."

The Warriors aren't better without Kerr, but they might be better motivated. After their Game 3 victory in the opening round, Stephen Curry saved the game ball for Kerr and told ESPN's J.A. Adande the players were rallying around him.

Kerr seems as supported by his players as any coach in the league, whether he's sharing a laugh with them or grabbing their attention by smashing a clipboard. If he can't be around to experience the ride, they'll do everything they can to ensure there's a celebration they can share.

New Level of Defensive Dominance

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Public opinion had the Warriors regressing defensively—perhaps in significant fashion—following the sacrifices made in pursuit of Kevin Durant.

Not only did that fail to materialize, this might be the most ferocious defense Golden State has ever fielded.

To be clear, this has been an elite defense for years. People might know this team for three-point splashes and Globetrotter-esque ball movement, but this was its fourth consecutive season with a top-five defensive efficiency (101.1, second).

Where this club deviated, though, was in the strategy. Rather than counterpunching opponents with dropping bigs and constant switches, these Dubs have hit first with relentless pressure and active, disruptive plays on the ball.

"It's a different style, for sure," wrote Bay Area News Group's Marcus Thompson II. "... It isn't about funneling to the big man or packing the paint. It's about pressure, swarming and scrapping to contest every shot and disrupt offensive flow."

As a result, the Warriors paced the Association with 785 steals and 555 blocks, the latter being the second-highest mark in franchise history. That, in turn, helped fuel the fiery offense with league-best rankings in points off turnovers (19.3) and fast-break points (22.6), the latter being their best number under Kerr.

Size isn't the same level of strength it was on past squads, but this season loudly suggests the defense's best assets have always been length, quickness and instincts.

Avenging Finals Failure

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History will never forget last season's Warriors, who became the first NBA team to blow a 3-1 series lead in the Finals. The returning players will never forget that pain either—even if it made the Durant signing possible—which could be among the current crop's most powerful assets.

"It's definitely motivation," Klay Thompson said during training camp, per NBA.com's Scott Howard-Cooper. "You have to learn how to close out a series. ... You can't really hold on to the past that much. You've just got to look forward. And we've got such an amazing opportunity in front of us."

Golden State's improbable transformation from history-making to meme-generating gives this team a unique gift.

It should be impossible for this crew to carry a collective chip on the shoulder. There are two in-prime MVPs on the roster, four All-Stars altogether and a Finals MVP coming off the bench. Even imaginary slights should be hard to find.

But that ill-timed tumble changed everything. Warriors critics are everywhere. There are still critics who see this as a finesse, offense-first squad not built for the postseason. They hold that Finals loss as proof of their beliefs—even if injuries rocked the rotation and Draymond Green's suspension flipped the series on its head.

As Golden State gears up for a potential third consecutive trip to the championship round, it should bathe in these invigorating us-against-the-world waters.

Offensive Efficiency Redefined

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Jaw-dropping offense has been the expectation ever since Durant signed on the dotted line, but there were at least minor concerns over how everything would work. There's only one basketball to go around, as the old adage goes, and no one knew what would happen should one of the biggest offensive eaters go hungry.

Well, the Warriors masterfully toed the tightrope connecting their three flamethrowers and subsequently produced one of the greatest offensive displays ever.

Their 115.6 offensive rating is matched only by the 1986-87 "Showtime" Los Angeles Lakers. Their 30.4 assists per game checks in fifth all-time. Their 56.3 effective field-goal percentage tied last year's team atop the historical list. And their 115.9 points per game is the highest scoring average of the 2000s.

"This version of the Warriors is just more talented, more driven and more dialed in than it's been at any point in the franchise's historic three-year run," Bleacher Report's Grant Hughes wrote. "... This group is a basketball WMD visiting instant and complete destruction on all targets."

Golden State's arsenal unfairly overflows.

Durant is a top-five scorer all-time. Curry is already the greatest shooter in league history—and Thompson might be right behind him. Green, the 6'7" forward-center, had a top-10 assist average. Sixth man Andre Iguodala paced all players with a mind-boggling 4.5 assists per turnover. The reserves are shooting 52.6 percent—more than five percentage points better than anyone else, per HoopsStats.com.

It's an overwhelming offensive collection, even by the light-years Dubs' standards.

Durant, Party of One

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As dominant as the Warriors have been of late, they haven't had a player with more natural skill than Durant. He has frontcourt length, backcourt ability and one of the strongest scoring punches ever thrown in this sport.

He arrived in the Bay Area with an MVP on his resume and, if not for a knee injury, would have unquestionably turned in his strongest campaign to date. As it is, there's still an argument to be made this was best. He became only the sixth player ever to average at least 25.0 points, 8.0 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 1.5 blocks—and, along with Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, the only to do it while shooting 53-plus percent.

"I know our guys love having him on our team," Kerr said, per CSN Bay Area's Monte Poole. "They love what he represents, in terms of the threat, in terms of explosiveness. ... It's been an incredible addition."

With all due respect to Harrison Barnes, the leap to Durant was like upgrading from a Kia to a tricked-out Rolls-Royce. The trickle-down effect of the initial move feels like a slew of bonuses.

Curry, who became the league's first unanimous MVP last season, now isn't necessarily opponents' primary defensive focus. Thompson, who produced this year's second-highest single-game point total, is a grossly overqualified third option. Green is a superstar super-glue guy. Reserves are crunched for minutes they could find in bulk elsewhere.

Simultaneously top-heavy and deep, the Dubs are loaded up like never before.

Statistics accurate through Monday and courtesy of NBA.com and Basketball Reference.

Zach Buckley covers the NBA for Bleacher Report. Follow him on Twitter: @ZachBuckleyNBA.