It felt inevitable. Honestly, by the time the 2016-17 NBA playoffs rolled around, most fans were just waiting for the June collision we all saw coming from a mile away. Kevin Durant had joined a 73-win team. Let that sink in again. The Golden State Warriors, after blowing a 3-1 lead to LeBron James and the Cavaliers the previous summer, added one of the greatest scorers to ever walk the earth. It wasn't just a "superteam." It was a cheat code.
People talk about parity in sports like it’s some holy grail. But in 2017? Parity was dead. The league was basically a two-car race happening on a track filled with minivans.
The 16-1 Masterclass
The Warriors didn't just win; they soul-crushed the Western Conference. They went 12-0 heading into the Finals. Think about that for a second. Three straight sweeps. Portland, Utah, and San Antonio—teams with legitimate All-Stars—were basically speed bumps.
The Spurs series was the only one that felt like it might be a fight, at least for twenty minutes. Gregg Popovich had San Antonio up by 25 points in Game 1. Then, Zaza Pachulia closed out on Kawhi Leonard, Kawhi’s ankle gave out, and the series was effectively over. Without Kawhi, the Spurs were cooked. It’s one of the biggest "what-ifs" in modern playoff history. Would the Warriors have won anyway? Probably. But we’ll never know if a healthy Kawhi could have at least made them sweat.
Golden State’s offense was a blur of motion. It wasn't just Durant; it was Steph Curry and Klay Thompson operating with a level of spacing that felt unfair. Draymond Green was the conductor of a defense that swarmed everything. By the time they reached the Finals, they looked invincible.
LeBron’s Loneliest Masterpiece
Over in the East, the Cleveland Cavaliers were doing their own version of a demolition derby. LeBron James was at the absolute peak of his powers, and Kyrie Irving was playing some of the most aesthetic basketball ever seen. They went 12-1 in the Eastern Conference playoffs. Their only loss was a weird Game 3 hiccup against the Boston Celtics where Marcus Smart suddenly turned into Ray Allen.
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The 2016-17 NBA playoffs were essentially a coronation for two kings, while everyone else was just there for the cardio.
LeBron averaged 32.8 points, 9.1 rebounds, and 7.8 assists throughout that run. It’s easy to forget how dominant that Cavs team actually was because of how they eventually got dismantled in the Finals. They had the highest offensive rating in playoff history at that point. They were a juggernaut. They just happened to run into a god.
What People Get Wrong About the 2017 Finals
The common narrative is that the Warriors destroyed the Cavs. And look, a 4-1 series win suggests a blowout. But if you actually go back and watch the tape, those games were high-level chess matches played at a breakneck pace.
Game 3 was the heartbreaker. Cleveland was up late. They had the momentum. Then Kevin Durant pulled up for that transition three-pointer over LeBron’s outstretched hand. Splash. That shot didn't just win a game; it validated Durant's move to the Bay. It was the moment the "snake" narrative—as his detractors called it—met the reality of a Larry O'Brien trophy.
The scoring was absurd. In Game 4, the Cavs set a record by scoring 86 points in the first half. 86! They hit 24 threes in a single game just to avoid a sweep. That’s what it took to beat the 2017 Warriors just once. You had to play a literally perfect game of basketball.
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The Forgotten Stories of the 2016-17 NBA Playoffs
While the heavyweights were busy with their inevitable march, some weird, fun stuff was happening in the margins.
- Isaiah Thomas and the 53-point game: In the second round against Washington, on what would have been his late sister's birthday, the "King in the Fourth" dropped 53 points. He was 5'9" (maybe) and ruled the world for a month. It remains one of the most emotional performances in postseason history.
- The Giannis Ascent: This was the year Giannis Antetokounmpo really arrived. He led the Bucks against the Raptors in the first round. Even though they lost, you could see the shift in the NBA’s tectonic plates. The "Greek Freak" wasn't a project anymore; he was a problem.
- The Wall vs. Beal vs. IT Drama: The Wizards-Celtics series was a genuine grudge match. It went seven games, featured a "funeral game" where the Wizards wore all black, and ended with Kelly Olynyk—of all people—becoming a Game 7 hero.
Why This Season Changed Everything
The fallout of the 2016-17 NBA playoffs basically broke the league's competitive structure for a few years. It led to the "arms race" era. Houston went out and traded for Chris Paul specifically because Daryl Morey realized you couldn't beat Golden State with one superstar.
It also marked the beginning of the end for the LeBron-Kyrie partnership. Despite the greatness they displayed in those playoffs, Kyrie reportedly felt the ceiling of being "LeBron's sidekick" and requested a trade that summer. It's wild to think that a team that went 12-1 in their conference and had an all-time great offense could blow up just weeks later, but that’s the shadow the Durant-Warriors cast. You weren't just competing against a team; you were competing against a dynasty that had perfected the sport.
The Statistical Reality of Dominance
Numbers sometimes lie, but in 2017, they told the truth.
The Warriors finished the postseason with a point differential of +13.5. That is the highest in NBA history. They were winning games by an average of nearly 14 points against the best teams in the world.
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For comparison, the 1996 Bulls had a point differential of +10.6 in the playoffs. The 2001 Lakers? +12.3. The 2017 Warriors were, statistically, the most dominant postseason force we have ever seen. They didn't play "hero ball." They played a brand of "0.5 basketball" where the ball never stayed in one set of hands for more than half a second.
Lessons for Today's NBA
If you're looking to understand the modern league, you have to look back at this specific run. It taught us that talent stacking works, but it also taught us about the value of chemistry. The Warriors didn't just have four All-Stars; they had four All-Stars who actually liked playing together.
For fans and analysts today, the 2017 run serves as a benchmark. When we see a team like the 2024 Celtics or the 2023 Nuggets dominate, we inevitably ask: "Yeah, but could they give the 2017 Warriors a game?" The answer, almost universally, is no.
Actionable Takeaways for Historical Context
- Re-watch Game 3 and Game 5 of the 2017 Finals: Don't just look at the box score. Watch the defensive rotations. It is the highest level of basketball IQ ever caught on film.
- Study the "Kawhi Rule": Understand how the injury to Leonard in the WCF changed the way the league looks at "Zaza-style" closeouts and player safety.
- Evaluate the "Superteam" Cost: Look at how the league's CBA (Collective Bargaining Agreement) has changed since then to try and prevent another KD-to-Warriors situation from ever happening again. The "Second Apron" rules in the current NBA are a direct response to the dominance we saw in 2017.
The 2016-17 NBA playoffs weren't about suspense. They were about the sheer, terrifying beauty of perfection. We might never see a team that good again, and honestly, for the sake of the league's drama, that's probably a good thing.