They used to say defense wins championships. That may or may not hold true in this new hyper space-and-pace era in the NBA, but it’s clear that chemistry and culture can change fortunes in the time it takes teammates to applaud or utter expletives at each other.
Around the league, the efforts of bona fide playoff contenders have been undermined by contentious locker-room dynamics and melodramas involving star players. The Minnesota Timberwolves endured it with Jimmy Butler, the Houston Rockets are experiencing it with Carmelo Anthony, and now the Golden State Warriors face a profanity-laden feud between Kevin Durant and Draymond Green that threatens to weaken the fabric of their dynasty.