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Golden State Warriors
Overall: 33
Title track: 17
Ownership: 40
Coaching: 13
Players: 6
Fan relations: 33
Affordability: 105
Stadium experience: 55
Bang for the buck: 30
Change from last year: -17
The Golden State Warriors lost a 3-1 lead in the Finals and have fallen down in our rankings. How, oh how, will they ever console themselves?
What's good
Well, for one, adding Kevin Durant to a roster fans already voted the sixth-best in sports (second-best in the NBA, behind the Spurs) is a pretty decent salve, as is boasting the most nationally televised games of any team, with 28. In general, it helps to be the center of the NBA universe, ridiculously hyped and obsessed over, claiming a roster as talented as perhaps any we've ever seen and a coach who has led his team to two straight Finals appearances (Steve Kerr comes in at 13th overall). That isn't a bad starting point for success in the Ultimate Standings.
What's bad
Of course, that begs the question: Why did the Warriors fall 17 spots? Beyond lacking stout rim protection, affordability is an issue (No. 105 overall). The lack of affordability is understandable, considering the cost of living in the Bay Area. Even humble Oakland, where Golden State plays, has leapt ahead of New York City in median housing sales cost, so the fourth-most expensive ticket in the NBA (behind the Knicks, Lakers and Bulls) is understandable. Even if the Warriors were to keep their prices low, many of those tickets would be sold for a fortune on the secondary market.
What's new
There are worse problems to have than trying to stay affordable when you're in demand, even when that leads to a seven-spot drop in bang for the buck (to 30th overall). (The Warriors suffered a litany of those worse problems before this recent run of success.) Of course, fans don't mind paying a bit more for a win when their team sets a record with 73 of them in a season, so even with a 20-point drop in fan relations and an average stadium experience, the Warriors will compensate with their on-court product. It's difficult to be disappointed by a fast break showcasing Steph Curry, Kevin Durant, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green.
Next: Indiana Pacers | Full rankings