The Golden State Warriors will square off against the Cleveland Cavaliers Wednesday night in what's only technically an NBA Finals rematch.
Now that LeBron James has taken his talents to the Los Angeles Lakers, the Cavs are anything but a championship-caliber squad and enter the game with a 5-18 record. The Warriors, meanwhile, look poised for a fifth straight Finals run and potential third consecutive title, sitting a game out of first place in the Western Conference.
It's a much different climate than 2016, when the reigning champion Cavaliers' Halloween party featured tombstone cookies bearing Klay Thompson's and Stephen Curry's names, plus "3-1 lead" printed on a drum head.
"That was funny. Look how that turned out," Thompson told The Athletic's Anthony Slater. "... That was crazy. I forgot about that. Well, look at what pettiness gets you. Gets you 1-8 in The Finals. Idiots."
The Warriors' success has influenced the entire NBA, from teams mimicking their style of play to the teardown of the Cavs. But Draymond Green doesn't think about how their recent era of dominance has affected other teams.
"I just think it was our time. It's still our time," Green said. "I've never thought about it in the sense that, 'Oh, if we weren't there, it would've been great for them.' Nah. It was and is our time."
Asked to reflect on what would have happened to the Cavaliers if it hadn't been for the rise of the Warriors, Green guessed the franchise's path would have changed significantly.
"They probably would've won one more," Green said. "Kyrie (Irving) probably would've never left. Things would be a lot different. But, hey, sucks. Sorry about it. Gotta roll with the punches."
