But when people spoke highly of such a defensive reputation

But when people spoke highly of such a defensive reputation during NBA Finals deliberations, much was forgotten — willingly or not — about the other party.

The Golden State Warriors were once the preeminent defensive force during the regular season. They stormed out of the gates and took a commanding lead over the Western Conference and the entire league — not through their intricate and unique style of offense, but with a defense that was on track to become a historically dominant one.