Kevin Durant a Warrior, but Golden State Roster Adjustments To Be Made In Wake of Addition to 'Death Lineup' - Greatest of All Time?
The greatest team of all time?
A few months removed from having the greatest season in NBA history with 73 wins, the Golden State Warriors has just announced that it is signing Kevin Durant for a two-year, $54 million deal, with the second year having a player option.
The deal certainly looks good on paper, just like when the Lakers signed Dwight Howard and Steve Nash in 2012 to join Pau Gasol and Kobe Bryant. That team was favored to win the NBA championship, but we all know how it all went.
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But how does this impact the Warriors' 2016-2017 season and beyond? Players will either be moved or released to accommodate Durant's signing. Harrison Barnes just signed with the Mavericks, leaving the starting SF spot to the 2014 MVP. Andrew Bogut has just been traded to the Mavericks, which will clear cap space for Durant. Ezeli will be in a new jersey next season after the team renounced his free agent rights. This leaves the Warriors with Anderson Varejao as their only true center.
But it has been reported that the front office has shown interest in Dewayne Dedmon and Andrew Nicholson of the Orlando Magic. With the magic signing Serge Ibaka and Bismack Biyombo, Dedmon and Nicholson will most certainly be moved, and probably be signed by the Warriors. This will make Dedmon the projected starting center, and joining him will be four all-stars.
What's scary is that this isn't the Warriors' best lineup. Move Green over to the center position, and you get the "Death Lineup" -- five elite players who can pass, shoot and defend very well. Curry, Durant and Thompson can - and will - shoot the lights out. Green and Iguodala will hound the opposition's best man. And four players who has averaged at least four assists per game in their careers.
We'll give you a second to let that sink in.
What makes this lineup unique is Green, Curry, Thompson and Durant are all aged 28 or younger. The league has seen some of the greatest big threes or fours but never one that has its players in their primes.
A lot of critics would say that the "Death Lineup" has been figured out following their struggles during the playoffs, especially against the Cleveland Cavaliers. We have all seen how Harrison Barnes struggled to shoot during that series, even with uncontested looks. Replace Barnes with Durant, and you have a former MVP who averaged 28.2 points a game, with 38% shooting form beyond the arc.
With Durant on board, this season may have the Death Lineup become the Perfect Lineup.
