The Return of the OG Warriors Should Actually Excite Golden State Fans

This afternoon, the wish that many basketball fans have held deep in their hearts since this time three years ago finally became reality -- Kevin Durant is no longer a member of the Golden State Warriors.

For fans of the team, that stung (even if he never was going to play a game next season anyway). But for everyone else, this should come as an exciting proposition.

And not just because it means the Golden State reign of terror is all but over.

Sources: Durant will sign a 4-year, $164M deal with the Nets; Irving will sign 4-years, $141M.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) June 30, 2019

The Warriors still retain Steph Curry, Klay Thompson, and Draymond Green. While Klay could miss the entire upcoming season as he recovers from an ACL injury, this is still the backbone of a super team that went 73-9 in 2015-16.

We know these guys can win games without KD. It may very well be refreshing to watch them do it.

And, yes, Klay Thompson is getting the five-year, $190 max from Golden State, sources reiterate. A done deal even before today
— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) July 1, 2019

Keep in mind that that was the core that posted the greatest regular season in NBA history. Those three, with the help of ancillary pieces, set the single-season wins record and came within a single win of back-to-back KD-free titles.

Sure, losing Durant stinks for Warriors fans. He's one of the best players ever. But it's not all doom and gloom, folks. Let's try to appreciate that.