Former NBA player Al Harrington, who played 16 seasons with seven different teams, including Golden State, said on the Hard 2 Guard radio podcast that his 2006-07 Warriors team would beat the 2015-16 Warriors.
The 2006-07 Golden State team became the first No. 8 seed to upset a No. 1 seed in a seven-game series when it beat the Dallas Mavericks 4-2 in the first round of the playoffs. Harrington, whom the Warriors traded for in January, finished second on the team in scoring (17 ppg) and rebounding (6.4 rpg).
Let’s compare team stats, shall we? (stats courtesy of basketball-reference.com)
- Field-goal percentage: 2006-07 (46.3), 2015-16 (48.8)
- 3-point percentage: 2006-07 (35.6), 2015-16 (41.4)
- Points per game: 2006-07 (106.5), 2015-16 (116.5)
- Opponent points per game: 2006-07 (106.9), 2015-16 (104.6)
- Win-loss record: 2006-07 (42-40), 2015-16 (60-6)
Let’s compare the lineups, shall we?
- 2006-07 starting lineup: Monta Ellis, Baron Davis, Stephen Jackson, Jason Richardson, Al Harrington
- 2015-16 starting lineup: Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Draymond Green, Harrison Barnes, Andrew Bogut
The 2006-07 Warriors had a pretty good lineup, not the biggest, but neither are the 2015-16 Warriors. However, the 2006-07 Warriors might have been done in by the 3-point shooting and effectiveness of today’s Warriors. Harrington’s club just barely made the playoffs, while Curry’s team is not only in the playoffs but chasing the NBA record of 73 wins in a season.
