Kalpana Kalpana (Editor)

2016–17 Golden State Warriors season

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Head coach
  
Steve Kerr

Owner(s)
  
Joe Lacob Peter Guber

Record
  
50–9 (.847)

General manager
  
Bob Myers

Arena
  
Oracle Arena

Place
  
Division: 1st (Pacific) Conference: 1st (Western)

The 2016–17 Golden State Warriors season is the 71st season of the franchise in the National Basketball Association (NBA), and its 55th in the San Francisco Bay Area. Golden State will enter the season as runners-up in the 2016 NBA Finals, after a record breaking regular-season in 2015–16. With the acquisition of free agent Kevin Durant in offseason, the Warriors were hailed as a "Superteam" by the media and fans, forming a new All-Star "Big Four" of Durant, Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green.

Contents

Stephen Curry has set four three-point NBA records this season; most three-pointers made in a single game (13), most consecutive games (regular-season and postseason combined) with a made three-pointer (196), most consecutive regular-season games with a made three-pointer (157) and most consecutive regular-season games with a made three-pointer on the road (117).

Kevin Durant, Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green were all named to the All-Star Game, the first time Golden State have had four All-Stars and just the eighth time in NBA history a single team has had four players in the game. The Warriors were the first team to clinch a playoff berth this season, and the fastest to do so in NBA history, achieving the feat on February 25, 2017.

Preseason

The 2016 NBA Draft was held on June 23, 2016, at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn. The Warriors chose center Damian Jones out of Vanderbilt with the 30th pick of the first round. They also acquired the draft rights of swingman Patrick McCaw, the 38th pick of the second round. Warriors forwards Harrison Barnes and Draymond Green and guard Klay Thompson were selected to participate on the 2016 USA Basketball National Team that competed in the 2016 Olympic Games. The Warriors were the only team with three representatives on the Olympic squad. Stephen Curry withdrew from selection due to injury.

On July 4, seven time All-star forward Kevin Durant announced he was leaving the Oklahoma City Thunder to join the Warriors. To clear cap space for Durant, the Warriors traded Andrew Bogut to the Dallas Mavericks and didn't match offers for five of their out of contract free agents, losing Harrison Barnes to the Dallas Mavericks, Brandon Rush to the Minnesota Timberwolves, Leandro Barbosa to the Phoenix Suns, Festus Ezeli to the Portland Trail Blazers and Marreese Speights to the Los Angeles Clippers. Golden State added veteran big men Zaza Pachulia and David West to their roster and retained Ian Clark, James Michael McAdoo and Anderson Varejao. The Warriors added Mike Brown as assistant coach on July 6, replacing Luke Walton, who left to take over as the Los Angeles Lakers head coach.

On August 21, the United States beat Serbia 96–66 at the Rio Summer Olympics to win the Gold medal. Kevin Durant, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green joined Chris Mullin (in 1992), as the only Warriors players to capture Olympic Gold medals. Durant led the team by averaging 19.4 points during Team USA's 8–0 run to victory.

The Warriors lost their opening preseason game against the Toronto Raptors on October 1, they then beat the Clippers, Kings, Nuggets, Lakers (twice) and Trail Blazers, to finish preparation for the season with a 6–1 record. Kevin Durant led the team in scoring, averaging 20.9 points per game, followed by Stephen Curry (19.7) and Klay Thompson (18.0). On October 20, Golden State finalized their 15-man roster, with the addition of free agent center JaVale McGee.

Regular season

The Warriors opened the season on October 25, 2016, with a 29-point home loss to the San Antonio Spurs in which Kawhi Leonard scored a career-high 35 points. They would respond by winning their next 4 games, including a 26-point victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder at home on November 3. This marked the first and highly-anticipated meeting between former teammates Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook. Durant scored 39 points in the win, the most by any player debuting against his former team.

After having his streak of consecutive games with a three-pointer come to an end the previous game, Stephen Curry set a new record of 13 three-pointers made in a single game during a victory over the New Orleans Pelicans on November 7.

On January 26, Kevin Durant, Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green were all named to the All-Star Game, the first time Golden State have had four All-Stars and just the eighth time in NBA history a single team has had four players in the game. It is just the eighth time in NBA history a single team has had four players in the game. Golden State's Steve Kerr will coach the Western Conference team.

On February 25, with the Warriors winning against the Brooklyn Nets, they secured a playoff berth for the fifth consecutive season, the first team in the league for the second consecutive season, and the fastest in the NBA history, beating out their record last season by two days.

Records

See also: NBA regular season records and NBA post-season records.

NBA records

As of February 27, 2017.

Individual

  • Most three-pointers made in a single game: 13 (Stephen Curry, previous record of 12 held jointly by Curry, Kobe Bryant, and Donyell Marshall)
  • Most consecutive regular-season games with twenty or more points: 72 (Kevin Durant, joint-fourth with Michael Jordan on all time NBA streak list. Streak ended November 10, 2016 when Durant scored 18 against the Denver Nuggets)
  • Most consecutive games (regular-season and postseason combined) with a made three-pointer: 196 (Stephen Curry, streak ended on November 4, 2016 against the LA Lakers, with Curry going 0 for 10 from three-point range)
  • Most consecutive regular-season games with a made three-pointer: 157 (Stephen Curry, previous record of 127 held by Kyle Korver)
  • Most consecutive regular-season games with a made three-pointer on the road: 117 (Stephen Curry)
  • First player to score 60 points in a game in under 30 minutes: Klay Thompson scored 60 points in 29 minutes against the Indiana Pacers on December 5, 2016, the first player to do this in the shot clock era (since 1954–55)
  • First player to record a triple-double while scoring fewer than ten points: Draymond Green (12 rebounds, 10 assists, 10 steals)
  • Team

  • Most games without back-to-back losses in regular-season: 145 (from April 9, 2015 – active streak). Previous record of 95 was held by the Utah Jazz.
  • First team to have four different players hit four three-pointers in a single game: Curry, Durant, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green all hit four three-pointers, first time in NBA history a team has done this.
  • Most combined three-point attempts in a single game: 88 (Both the Warriors and the Houston Rockets took 44 attempts each on December 1, 2016.)
  • Most games with a 40-point winning margin or higher in regular-season: 3 (tied with five other teams for NBA record)
  • Most players in the All-Star Game: Four, equalling the record shared by seven other teams in NBA history.
  • Individual

  • Most steals in a game: 10 (Draymond Green, the NBA record is 11)
  • Most consecutive games with a made three-pointer at home: 107 (Stephen Curry, Kyle Korver holds the NBA record with 132)
  • Only Warriors players to score 60 points or more in a game: Klay Thompson scored 60 points against the Indiana Pacers on December 5, 2016. He joins Wilt Chamberlain, Rick Barry and Joe Fulks as the only players in franchise history to score 60 or more points in a game.
  • Team

  • Most assists in a game: 47 (most assists in a game in the NBA since the Phoenix Suns had 47 in the 1991–92 season)
  • Most games in a row with 30+ assists: 10 (the Charlotte Hornets hold the NBA record with 13 set in 1989)
  • Most games in a season with 40+ assists: 3 (most in the NBA since the 1996–97 Chicago Bulls had 3)
  • Most three-pointers attempted in a game: 48 (against the Charlotte Hornets on February 1, 2017. The Warriors shot 21-of-48 (.438)
  • Regular season

    Bold – Leaders (Qualified)

    As of February 13, 2017

    References

    2016–17 Golden State Warriors season Wikipedia