Rome Burned Without A Sound

It wasn’t a single moment that led to Rome’s downfall. There wasn’t a definitive “BOOM” to signal the end of the Romans. If there had been, it might have sounded like this.

The Golden State Warriors blew an 18-point lead to the defending champs, a sign that the old guard is being replaced. Steph Curry may still be a dominant force, but a new model in the form of Nikola Jokic is emerging. The new replaces the old, and things change and evolve.

In the ongoing noise and speculation, the last “era team” struggles to hang on. The Warriors got to the top, but victory ultimately did them in. They failed to control Draymond’s unhinged streak and failed to transition to younger contributors. This is how it always goes.

The slow decline is normal. The Lakers of the early 2000s complained and moaned, and eventually, key players retired or were traded. The same fate awaits the Warriors.

The Warriors got a glimpse of their potential fall, a feeling that will color everything from now on. Eventually, they will have to accept that it cannot be rebuilt to what it was.

And perhaps a glimpse of what awaits the Nuggets or whoever’s after them in the not-too-distant future.