Ever since Warriors owner Joe Lacob said the Warriors were ‘light-years’ ahead of the rest of the NBA in a New York Times interview in 2016, the quote has become a running joke throughout league circles and on social media.
But…is there some truth to it?
The Athletic’s Marcus Thompson believes so, specifically in the context of last Saturday’s incredible game against the Celtics at Oracle Arena. The game looked like a Finals preview, and featured a Boston team bursting at the seams with young talent, and one that should only going to get better when Gordon Heyward re-enters the lineup. According to Thompson, the Warriors had the foresight that they would face an opponent such as this years ago, and knew that bringing in Kevin Durant would be a necessity if Golden State was going to continue to be the league’s best team for years to come.
“I think the Celtics prove how the Warriors were light-years ahead,” Thompson said. “Think about this: What would this matchup be if they didn’t have Durant? You might be talking about the Celtics as the favorite in the NBA. This is (the Warriors) saying ‘look, the league is going to figure out this death lineup with Harrison Barnes. Let’s be ready.’ The Celtics are the manifestation of what they thought two years ago, and now it’s here. So what’s the next move?”
Thompson believes that the Warriors are once again looking toward the future, and that their next move may be with another superstar in mind.
“Now they are planning for Kyrie (Irving), Gordon Hayward and Anthony Davis,” Thompson said of the Warriors. “I can guarantee you that. (The Warriors) are like, ‘this is going to be their team, what’s our answer to that?’ That’s what they’re thinking about right now. So when they make this next move, you’re probably going to be like, ‘uhhhh.’ But when the Celtics get Anthony Davis, you’re gonna be like ‘okay, that was light-years ahead.’ Because they’ll be ready for this. That’s how Bob Myers works, I’m telling you.”
Listen to the full interview below. For Thompson on #lightyears, skip to 11:45.