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An Insane Record Which Proves 2015 Playoffs Steph Curry Was No Match for Anyone Else

Published 07/26/2020, 6:30 PM EDT

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The Golden State Warriors did not enjoy the 2019-20 season at all. Their dynasty took a huge hit due to the absence of Steph Curry and Klay Thompson from the roster.

A team that reached five straight NBA Finals finished at the bottom of the Western Conference with a 15-50 record. But, if you turn the clock back to 2015, you can find yourself in a time where the Warriors absolutely dominated the NBA. 

Let us take a look back at the 2014-15 NBA season. Steve Kerr took charge of the team during the off-season, which raised the bar.

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Kerr succeeded in his very first year as he carried the Warriors to a regular-season record, which was shattered by them the very next year. 

The team finished first in the Pacific Division as well as the Western Conference. The ‘Splash Brothers’ tormented opponents with their three-point shooting, leaving them no answer to their brilliance.

Moreover, in this season, Steph Curry enjoyed a personal victory against other superstars in the league. 

The year when Steph Curry accomplished an incredible feat

The league makes three All-NBA teams each year to honor the players who have performed on an incredible level throughout the season. To date, Steph Curry has been elected into six All-NBA teams. 

Due to his valuable performances in the 2014-15 season, Curry found his way into the All-NBA first team for the first time in his career. Upon etching his name into the first team, he found himself alongside the likes of LeBron James and James Harden. 

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The significance of this particular year is that Curry managed to knock out all his other first-team members in the same year. Curry faced every other athlete in the All-NBA First Team and emerged victorious against each of them in the 2015 playoffs. 

The Warriors played the New Orleans Pelicans in their first-round playoff fixture, swept them, and moved on to face the Memphis Grizzlies in the conference semi-finals.

After making easy work out of the Grizzlies, they took on Harden and the Rockets in the conference finals. 

The Warriors enjoyed a smooth series in the conference finals as well as the NBA Finals to confirm their status as Champions after forty long years.

From their last victory in 1975 to the latest one in 2015, the Warriors deserved to win it for their grit and determination. 

The individual brilliance of Curry in the playoffs

As mentioned earlier, the Warriors enjoyed a smooth road to the NBA Finals. None of the three teams in their conference posed a challenging series on their journey to the grand stage.

First up were the Pelicans led by a 22-year-old Anthony Davis who had also earned his first All-NBA selection. Curry and the Warriors dominated the Pelicans and swept them 4-0 to breeze into the second round.

Curry excelled in the series with an average of 33.8 points in the four games that he played. Thus, he got past Anthony Davis, a fellow member of the 2015 All-NBA first team. 

Next up, the Warriors faced the Memphis Grizzlies and got past them under the brilliance of Curry and Klay Thompson. Marc Gasol, who got his first selection into the All-NBA First Team, could not cope with their brilliance and his average of 19.2 points per game couldn’t lead the Grizzlies to victory against the Warriors. 

With a 4-2 series win over the Grizzlies, the Warriors moved to the conference finals for the first time in 39 years. There they met the force of James Harden and the Houston Rockets.

Riding on easy series victories against the Grizzlies and the Pelicans, the Warriors showed no signs of slowing down. 

Even though James Harden posed a serious threat, the Warriors only faced defeat in a single game in the series. Steph Curry displayed his class, yet again, as he averaged more than 30 points in the series.

After facing a loss in game 5, the Warriors came back roaring in the next fixture and took a 14-point victory to seal their place in the NBA Finals. 

The first title for the Golden State Warriors in forty years

Some things are worth the wait, aren’t they? Well, the Warriors fans wouldn’t have liked the long wait, but none of it mattered when they neared triumph. All that they cared about was that their team were champions once again. 

Curry and the Warriors saw a mighty challenge when they were up against the Cleveland Cavaliers in the NBA Finals. These two met in the finals for four consecutive years, and 2015 is where it all began. 

LeBron James put on a dazzling display of basketball in the 2015 playoffs. He inspired the Cavs to reach the finals with stunning performances en route to the main stage. James averaged 35.8 points in the Finals but lacked support from the team. 

On the other hand, the Warriors as a unit proved to be too strong for the Cavs to conquer. They had too much momentum on their back, which could not be struck down by LeBron James alone.

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Curry led the team in scoring by averaging 26 points in the six games they played in the series. 

Thus, Steph Curry in the 2015 playoffs managed to outshine each of his fellow All-NBA First-Team members. It is not a feat that you see someone accomplishing every year. This particular season proved to be the turning point for the Warriors. 

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Ever since winning the 2015 NBA Championship, they grew hungry for more and satisfied their hunger by winning two more titles. Even though the team is now facing a form slump, we are certain that the return of the splash brothers to the team will overturn the worries.  

SOURCE: Basketball Reference, Wikipedia

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Written by:

Arjun Athreya

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Arjun Athreya is a senior writer at Essentially Sports and has been contributing since early 2020. Having developed an avid interest in sports at an early age, he pursued a Journalism degree and graduated from Madras Christian College. Arjun manages the Golf division and its content, and primarily covers news pertaining to the NBA as well.
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