National Basketball Association

Golden State Warriors: Three unreasonable expectations for 2016-17

Published Jun. 30, 2017 6:28 p.m. ET

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September 26, 2016; Oakland, CA, USA; Golden State Warriors forward Kevin Durant (35) and guard Stephen Curry (30) pose for a photo during media day at the Warriors Practice Facility. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

There are some unreasonable expectations that people should stay away from for the Golden State Warriors during the 2016-17 season.

The Golden State Warriors are out to avenge themselves in the 2016-17 season. After a season of history ended poorly in Game 7 of the NBA Finals, the Warriors will look to rebound and bring home another NBA Championship. The team went out and added Kevin Durant to an already lethal roster.

The addition of Durant to a team that won 73 games last year has created some very high expectations. The issue is that people can’t become unreasonable with what they expect from the Warriors this season. Here are some examples of unreasonable expectations.

3. Co-MVP’s

With Stephen Curry and Kevin Durant sharing the floor together, both are going to be MVP candidates this year. One or the other could potentially win the award, but there will not be a Co-MVP’s scenario.

To think that both are just going to win the highest honor together is narcissistic thinking. These two players are going to have fantastic years and it might raise the stakes for either of them to win it on their own even higher.

In fact, it might be tough for either to win it this year, as both are expected to get plenty of rest. The Warriors are going for the top seed and should get it, but they aren’t chasing history. This team would rather bring home an NBA Championship than a bunch of individual awards.

April 13, 2016; Oakland, CA, USA; Golden State Warriors fans hold a sign after the game against the Memphis Grizzlies at Oracle Arena. The Warriors defeated the Grizzlies 125-104. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

2. 74 wins

This has been a hot topic ever since the Golden State Warriors added Kevin Durant. Can the team chase 74 wins? Can they? Of course. Will they? They most certainly will not. Draymond Green has said already that it took a toll on the team last season and they weren’t the same for it.

They have the talent to make a run, but they are going to be more focused on being healthy when the playoffs arrive. This is a team that is going to look to be at full strength when it all begins. They weren’t at full strength when they playoffs began last season and that wore guys down.

The season of chasing history has come and past and the Warriors won their 73 games. They would have liked a championship to have gone with it, but that didn’t happen. Now, their focus is back on winning the title.

Durant isn’t here to help them go on some ill-conceived chase. He’s here to help them win multiple championships and to continue to leave a legacy within the league’s history. Expect around 65 or so wins and a rested team for the playoffs.

Jun 16, 2015; Cleveland, OH, USA; The Golden State Warriors celebrate with the Larry O

1. Sweeping the playoffs

Expecting an NBA Championship from the Golden State Warriors is not unreasonable. Anything less would be an absolute disappointment. This team has to win a championship this year to bounce back from a tough loss last year.

There is no excuse for this team not to win a championship after adding Kevin Durant in free agency. What would be unreasonable is expecting them to sweep the playoffs. If the team really wanted to make history, sweeping the playoffs would be doing so.

However, that’s just not doable with the landscape of the Western Conference. It’s an absolute mental battle to reach the NBA Finals and then they will likely face the Cleveland Cavaliers in the NBA Finals. The Warriors and Cavaliers have played 13 games in the NBA Finals over the last two years.

There’s no way a sweep is happening, as these two teams are just too talented for that. Can they go 16-4 or 16-5? Absolutely. However, don’t expect them or any team in the future to ever pull off the clean sweep.