Why Mark Daigneault has ultimate respect for Warriors’ continuity

With the championship window all but closed, the Golden State Warriors are making the most of what little space they have left. The veteran squad will go down with the ship. With Stephen Curry in the twilight of his career, NBA dynasties want to stay competitive.

That’s exactly what the Oklahoma City Thunder are aiming for. An NBA championship banner is already hanging from the rafters, and they hope to achieve the same success in the 2020s that the Warriors did in the 2010s — a few Larry O’Brien trophies and a historic guard who defined an era.

advertise

Even though the two fan groups have hated each other to a toxic degree over the years, that hasn’t spilled over into the courts. Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault talked about his admiration for the Warriors and their ability to play competitive basketball with nearly the same lineup for more than a decade.

The Thunder will host the Warriors in prime time on Saturday night. Despite Curry’s serious knee injury and Jimmy Butler III’s season-ending ACL tear, the Golden State Warriors remain in the playoff picture and could be a preview of a first-round series.

The Warriors’ recent overtime victory over the Houston Rockets is one example. On the road, Brandin Bozemski and Draymond Green outlasted NBA All-Stars Kevin Durant and Alperon Sengung in a rotation filled with two-way players and shorthanded.

A beaming Warriors coach Steve Kerr said the frustrating win had a playoff-like feel. He also served as a cavalier reminder of the Golden State Warriors’ success in Houston over the years. They had some of the best NBA playoff series in the 2010s.

advertise

“I think for guys who want to win games, it makes sense. That’s what I say about Green and Horford,” Daigneault said. “Horford is obviously here. I know him and Green well from a distance. When these guys line up and lace up their shoes, they expect to win but are disappointed when they don’t win. It’s an infectious thing.”

What is heavy is the head with the crown. If any NBA team can sympathize with what the Thunder are going through this season, it’s the Warriors. Their decade-long run of success made the rest of the league jealous of their success. The Thunder are hoping to pick up the torch from the Golden State Warriors and become a new version of this dominant franchise.