The Golden State Warriors were an exceptionally great basketball team last season. They then went out and signed an exceptionally great basketball player in Kevin Durant. There might be an adjustment period that halts their rise from exceptionally great to some unparalleled height, but at some point there are going to get there.
Kevin Durant needed 4 minutes to illustrate how doomed NBA defenses are
A one-point game turned into a blowout real quick.
Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
And when they do, they are going to melt the internet down.
We caught a little glimpse of how that might go on Friday night when Durant caught fire in the third quarter. He was stacking highlights so quickly, people making GIFs and Vines on Twitter were struggling to keep up.
It was a brilliant four-minute stretch that showed how dangerous the Warriors can be and how helpless even a really good team is when it’s caught in the buzzsaw.
9:29 - Kevin Durant makes 25-foot three pointer - GSW leads 62-58
Prior to Durant hitting this shot, the Warriors held just a one-point lead. Then the floodgates opened.
9:02 - Kevin Durant makes running dunk - GSW leads 64-58
Not even 30 seconds later. Durant was doing this. The Golden State social staff can only make videos so fast, Kevin!
6:46 - Kevin Durant makes 27-foot three pointer - GSW leads 72-63
After not scoring for more than two minutes, Durant was back for another barrage.
A few seconds after making this three, he made another.
6:05 - Kevin Durant makes 24-foot three pointer - GSW leads 75-63
Durant will benefit greatly from playing with Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson. They are going to free him up and give him a lot of space. He can also still do this, even when guarded well.
5:43 - Kevin Durant makes 32-foot three point jumper - GSW leads 78-63
Durant tacked on his third made three is 1:03 of game action. And this one was his best yet. The Warriors love to shoot deep threes. Durant is fitting right in.
And with a 14-point burst in less than four minutes of game action, the rout was on. It’s only preseason, but it’s also a prime example of the biggest problem teams are going to have against Golden State this season. Opponents may be able to hang with offensively for stretches and even play good defense. Eventually, however, Durant, Curry or Thompson is going to get hot. Then this happens. A one-point game turns into 15 in minutes.
The Warriors are going to be defense’s worst nightmare and the best show on Vine.
