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The Golden State Warriors have dominated the NBA since the team appointed Steve Kerr as head coach back in 2014. During Kerr's first season, the Warriors finished with their best-ever regular season record, and the team went on to capture the Championship thanks to a 4-2 Finals win over the Cavaliers.
In the following season, the Warriors bettered the famous 95-96 Chicago Bulls' record of 72-10, as Kerr's men won 73 games.
While the Warriors suffered a surprise defeat in the 2016 NBA Finals to the LeBron James inspired Cavs, the addition of Kevin Durant has helped the Warriors to back-to-back Championships in the last two years.
The team also acquired DeMarcus Cousins over the summer, and the Warriors can now field a starting five consisting entirely of All-Star players.
Despite this, cracks are beginning to show in the Warriors dynasty, and here are three reasons why the franchise's dominance could soon end.
#3 Ageing core
The Golden State Warriors currently have their entire starting five at the peak of their powers, but this will not be the case for much longer.
Draymond Green and Klay Thompson are 28, while Kevin Durant and Steph Curry both turned 30 earlier this year. In addition to this, Andre Iguodala will be 35 in January, and Shaun Livingston recently turned 33.
The Splash Brothers should age well due to their incredible shooting ability, although many analysts believe that Green will soon experience a rapid decline. Meanwhile, Iguodala is already talking about retirement, and age looks to be catching up with Livingston, as the veteran has struggled so far this season.
Young players on the Warriors roster like Kevon Looney and Jordan Bell have proved to be valuable rotation pieces, but there is no evidence to suggest that they can usher in a new era of dominance.
#2 Other contenders
The Warriors have been excellent during the last four seasons, although they have benefited from a lack of competition. The NBA Finals have proved relatively easy for Steve Kerr's men, as the team have comfortably won three of their four series against the Cavaliers. The Warriors' lone defeat in 2016 was due to their own mistakes.
However, with the Cavs now out of contention, the Warriors could face the much more competitive Toronto Raptors in the 2019 Finals.
The Western Conference is also likely to offer increased resistance to the Warriors this season. The Lakers have added LeBron James, and are looking to partner him with a superstar such as Anthony Davis, while the Thunder look like a contender thanks to the extension of Paul George.
Ultimately, the NBA is becoming stronger than ever, and the Warriors will no longer have the luxury of gliding through the postseason.
#1 Expiring contracts
While new rivals are emerging in the NBA, and the Warriors' roster is getting older, the team's main obstacle to further success is their current contract situation.
A team of DeMarcus Cousins, Kevin Durant, Draymond Green, Klay Thompson and Steph Curry is virtually unbeatable, but the team could lose two or three of those players in the 2019 postseason.
DeMarcus Cousins has been told by the franchise that he is only in California for a year, so it would take a big change in circumstances for the 28-year-old to stay. Meanwhile, Kevin Durant is looking to lead his own team for the first time in his career, and the Warriors' offer of a max-contract is unlikely to be enough to make him stay this summer.
There is also the curveball of Draymond Green, who is out of a contract in 2020. The 3-time All-Star has already stated that he won't settle for anything other than a max deal, and the Warriors won't be willing to pay both millions in salary and luxury tax to keep a 30-year-old Green.
This means that the Warriors face the very real possibility of trading him in the next 18 months, and ultimately, only Thompson and Curry look guaranteed to be on their roster next season.
Guess the Lakers players!
