At the start of the dynasty years in the 2014-2015 NBA season, the Golden State Warriors weren’t considered by most in the basketball world to be a serious contender. Even as they ripped off a 65-17 record and led the league in defensive rating while posting the second-best offensive rating, the consensus was that their small-ball lineups would get crushed by grittier playoff-level defenses. They were supposed to lose to James Harden, who some thought was snubbed when Steph Curry won the MVP award over him, and to LeBron James and the Cavaliers, a team heralded by James’s return from the Heat the offseason before. They weren’t supposed to win it all.

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