Are Golden State Warriors a Dynasty?

After all but guaranteeing themselves a second straight NBA Finals championship, the Golden State Warriors are approaching legendary territory with their recent run of success. Between the championships and the way they have perfected a style of basketball that nobody else has been able to execute this well, it's hard to say that they aren't an all-time great team. But are the Golden State Warriors a dynasty?

What Makes a Dynasty?

When asking whether or not the Warriors comprise a dynasty, one must ask what a dynasty is first. A dynasty in sports is a team that wins several championships in a short period of time, boasting the best team in the league for a number of years during that time period. Teams like the San Antonio Spurs and New England Patriots have fallen into this category over the last decade or so, using their superiority to turn the odds in their favor the vast majority of the time.

In the NBA, all great teams invariably get compared to the dynasty that was the Chicago Bulls during the Michael Jordan era, but it is not necessary to have that long a run of success to be considered a dynasty, especially in the modern NBA in which there are so many talented teams compared to the small number in that era. So when comparing the Golden State Warriors to teams like the Chicago Bulls, you have to remember that the Warriors didn't have the luxury of playing teams like the 1990s New York Knicks on their way to their championships.

The Case For Golden State

The case for the Golden State Warriors being a dynasty has a couple of legitimate points, chief among them being the fact that the Warriors have not only won multiple championships (assuming they finish off the Cavaliers this year), but have done so in an era of basketball where LeBron James has also been playing. What the Warriors have done is the equivalent of Michael Jordan defeating a second Michael Jordan in order to get his rings.

Also working in the Warriors' favor is the way they have put their own unique stamp on the game of basketball that will be remembered forever. They are the only team in the history of the sport to win 73 games in a regular season, and have the only player to ever win the league's most valuable player award in unanimous fashion. That player, Steph Curry, is also the only player to ever make 400 three point shots in a season, further putting a one of a kind hallmark on the game.

Beyond even those accomplishments, the Warriors have found a way to perfect a style of play that was really made its best by the LeBron James era Miami Heat, that of playing a small lineup to gain an advantage over bigger and less mobile lineups. This Warriors team has the unique combination of brilliant three point shooting, flawless ball movement, and versatile guards to where they have been able to destroy teams with their small lineup and shift live betting within seconds with deadly shooting accuracy. That is something that can't be replicated.

The Case Against Golden State

There is one thing preventing people from considering the Golden State Warriors to be a dynasty, and that is the amount of time that the Warriors have been on top of the NBA. They simply have not been there long enough to warrant that type of billing in the eyes of many fans and pundits, which is a fair argument to make. With that said, the Warriors will have plenty of time with this young core to continue to be great, giving them a chance to change the minds of those who believe this.

Golden State Cleveland Betting

As far as Golden State vs. Cleveland betting is concerned, the Warriors are heavy favorites to close out the NBA Finals at home in game 5, after they blew the Cavaliers out in each of the first two games in Oakland to start the series. If the Warriors can play at a level even close to the one they did in those two games, they will lift their second straight NBA Finals trophy and move even closer to that dynastic designation.