All the national pundits and talking heads have danced on the grave of the Warriors' dynasty.
With Kevin Durant, Andre Iguodala and Shaun Livingston gone, and Klay Thompson out for a large portion of the upcoming season, most feel like the Warriors' reign of dominance is over.
But Thompson isn't listening to the noise. The Warriors might be down, but they aren't out.
"The dynasty ain't over," Klay said Friday during the second annual Thompson Family Foundation golf tournament in Newport Beach, Calif. "It's far from over."
After five season atop the NBA mountain, the Warriors are no longer the favorites to win the NBA title, and will look vastly different this season.
At the beginning of the season, Steph Curry and Draymond Green will be flanked by newcomers D'Angelo Russell and Willie Cauley-Stein. Instead of Durant at the starting small forward spot, coach Steve Kerr might go with Alfonzo McKinnie.
Super Death Lineup this is not.
Sports
Making matters tougher for the Warriors is the improvement of other teams in the Western Conference. The Clippers, Lakers, Jazz and Rockets all made blockbuster moves over the summer, while the Nuggets and Blazers return teams that were top-4 seeds in the West last season.
But once Thompson returns in February or March, the Warriors will be able to close games with a lineup of Curry, Thompson, Russell, Green and Kevon Looney, who signed a three-year contract with the Warriors in the offseason.
[RELATED: Eight things Warriors need to do to make playoffs]
As Green said last week, no one will want to face the Warriors in the playoffs. That will be especially true if Thompson is 100 percent in April.
Durant isn't around anymore, but the dynasty isn't dead until Curry, Thompson and Green say it is.
