A look back at 2013 and 2014: When the Warriors were up-and-comers

The Golden State Warriors showed they were capable of greatness during the early to mid 2010s.

Watching the Golden State Warriors’ ascension to NBA glory was like seeing a prodigy fulfill their potential and become the best at their respective craft.

In the early-to-mid 2010s, the Warriors seemed destined for greatness, with Steph Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green all developing their stardom. During the 2012-13 season, the first season Curry, Thompson and Green played together, the Warriors made the playoffs for the first time since 2007.

The 2013 Warriors weren’t the “We Believe” Warriors when it came to making history; the 2007 Warriors are one of five No. 8 seeds in league history to take down the No. 1 seed in the first round.

But like the 2007 team, the 2013 Warriors were fearless — and on top of that, they were more talented.

Golden State defeated the Denver Nuggets in six games during that postseason’s first round, boasting five players who averaged double figures in scoring during the series.

Curry was an electric ringleader, as he led the Warriors in points per game (24.3) and shot 44.2% from the 3-point line. Jarrett Jack was one of the most serviceable complementary guards in the league at the time, and he scored 18.8 points a game on 52.6% shooting from the field.

Both players were also pivotal for the Warriors when it came to playmaking. Curry led the team in assists per game (9.3) that series, and Jack wasn’t far behind at 7.0. They were the only two players on the team who dished at least five assists a game.

By the time the second round came, the Warriors proved they weren’t just some run-of-the-mill, Cinderella franchise.

They took the San Antonio Spurs to six games in the semifinals. With Curry as the top player once more, he averaged 22.5 points per game, but he didn’t shoot as well from beyond the arc; he shot 35.2% from the 3-point line.

Harrison Barnes was a worthy sidekick, though, against the Spurs’ dominant core of Tim Duncan, Tony Parker, Manu Ginobili and Kawhi Leonard.

Barnes scored 17.3 points per game and grabbed 7.3 rebounds a game. With the Warriors down 2-1, he had a stellar performance in Game 4. He scored a team-high 26 points and grabbed 10 rebounds as the Warriors won Game 4 to tie the series at two games apiece.

Despite losing to the Spurs in the second round, the Warriors came back even more formidable in 2013-14, advancing to the playoffs with a 51-31 record. They were the sixth seed in a highly competitive Western Conference, but they lost an entertaining seven-game series in the first round to the Los Angeles Clippers.

The teams split the first four games at two games apiece, and the Clippers won a pivotal Game 5. DeAndre Jordan had a team-high 25 points and grabbed a team-best 18 rebounds in the victory.

The Warriors won Game 6, 100-99, and Curry scored a team-high 24 points to help force a Game 7. The Clippers, though, loaded with talent in Jordan, Chris Paul and Blake Griffin, won the final game 126-121. Curry had a dominant performance, scoring 33 points and dishing nine assists as he shot 3-of-7 from deep.

His performance was indicative of how dominant the Warriors would be in the near future. Once the 2015 season rolled around, the Warriors were the top team in the West. The core of Curry, Thompson, Green, along with important complementary player Andre Iguodala, won their first title together in 2015 against the Cleveland Cavaliers.

And from there, like a gifted chess player or a talented musician, the Warriors continued to shine, winning titles in 2017 and 2018.

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