There is only one team entering the 2015-16 NBA season with the “defending champion” label, and that team is the Golden State Warriors. In a storybook season, the Warriors had first-year head coach Steve Kerr and the NBA MVP Stephen Curry lead the franchise to the NBA Finals, where they captured the team’s first NBA title since the 1974-75 season.
And the majority of last season’s championship roster returns, which makes the Warriors a legitimate threat to go for back-to-back championships. Klay Thompson and Harrison Barnes join Curry in the backcourt, with Andrew Bogut and Draymond Green anchoring the paint. Green was rewarded for his playmaking ability on both sides of the basketball court during the offseason, earning a five-year $82 million deal.
A key in the Warriors’ title run was their depth, and they’re actually returning their entire bench except David Lee, who was traded to the Boston Celtics over the offseason. Shaun Livingston, NBA Finals MVP Andre Iguodala, Marreese Speights, Festus Ezeli and Leandro Barbosa will continue to provide energy off the bench to wear down opposing teams. In addition, Golden State acquired Jason Thompson to help fill the void left by Lee.
Golden State Warriors tickets on the secondary market skyrocketed last season during their run, becoming the hottest ticket in the NBA for opposing teams. That trend continues this season, as some of their top games of the season surpass $800 for an average ticket price. According to SeatSmart.com, their most expensive tickets on the secondary market come against the Memphis Grizzlies on April 13 at home. Tickets to see the Grizzlies at Oracle Arena have an average price of $855.64 with a much more reasonable get-in price of $69.
A date against the Phoenix Suns appears in second on March 12, having an average price of $841.97 and a get-in price of $87. The games begin to dip under the $800 average ticket price against the Dallas Mavericks on March 25, which is the third most expensive game of the season. That Western Conference affair carries an average price of $799.46 and a get-in price of $83.
The Warriors have seven preseason contests scheduled until they play on the opening night of the season on October 27. The Warriors start the regular season at home against Anthony Davis and the New Orleans Pelicans, a team they eliminated in the first round of the NBA playoffs last season. The average ticket price is $642.95 with a get-in price of $167 for entrance into Oracle Arena and it is the most expensive opener of the three games that night.
