How unusual is the familiarity enjoyed by the Golden State Warriors' stars?
Warriors stalwarts Stephen Curry and Draymond Green have been playing together since Golden State drafted Green in 2013. The next season, the Warriors added Andre Iguodala, who is back in the Bay after a two-year hiatus. And Golden State's continuity will only get stronger when Klay Thompson returns to the lineup. His partnership with Curry, interrupted by Thompson's injuries the past two seasons, dates back to 2012.
Throughout the NBA season, I answer your questions about the latest, most interesting topics in basketball. You can contact me directly at @kpelton, tweet your questions using the hashtag #peltonmailbag or email them to peltonmailbag@gmail.com.
This week's mailbag kicks off by quantifying the chemistry between Curry and Green as well as other sets of teammates and comparing the Warriors to the rest of the league. I also answer your questions about the relative odds of LeBron James' current and former teams making the playoffs, whether rematches within the same week like last week's pair of showdowns between Golden State and the Phoenix Suns are different from other meetings and players matching up against namesake teams.
"After watching the almost telepathic play between Draymond Green and Steph Curry [developed over 10 seasons together], I was wondering, is there a 'Familiarity Factor' that can be quantified? Can you calculate the number of years each player has played with players on their roster? Do teams and rotations with a higher 'Familiarity Factor' lead to more plus-minus, wins, or championships?"
-- Reggio Fox, New Zealand