OAKLAND, Calif. _ Have you checked in with the Cavaliers lately? LeBron James and management are publicly bickering. The best player called out the flaws in his team's roster and the willingness of the franchise's money-makers to spend. The general manager bit back, telling him to worry about the court product.
How about in Chicago? Dwyane Wade and Jimmy Butler questioned the competitive spirit of the Bulls' younger players. Then Rajon Rondo sent out a lengthy Instagram response, questioning the leadership style of Wade and Butler. The coach, Fred Hoiberg, seems to have no control of the situation.
What's the common thread between these two current epicenters of NBA drama? Patches of losing. The Cavaliers have lost three in a row and six of the past eight. The Bulls have lost six of nine.
Rotten chemistry can stem from plenty of places in professional sports. Egos and differing agendas create natural friction. Problems can pop up from any corner of the locker room or organization. But during the slog of an NBA season, losing streaks jumpstart confrontation and increase problems to a boiling point.
The Warriors have had no such issues this season. Their locker room environment is in a cushy place. Some of that is because of the mix of characters who comprise it _ stars who mesh, veterans who police, younger guys who willingly fit in and 15 players who seem to accept their spot on the totem pole.
But the lack of tension can also be traced to a simple fact: Zero losing streaks. The Warriors haven't lost two in a row in the regular season since April of 2015. They've had some testy moments in their seven losses _ Christmas in Cleveland and the meltdown against Memphis when Draymond Green lit into Kevin Durant. But the angst hasn't multiplied and the pressure hasn't built because they've immediately rattled off wins right after.
"I've been on teams where you're not supposed to lose three in a row, you lose three in a row and then all of a sudden everybody want to have a meeting, guys want to talk up," Durant said. "You just put too much pressure on yourselves to win the next games. It's the NBA. Teams creep up on you and you might lose, but the next game comes around quickly and just go out there and play. I've been on teams where it just feels too tense. Then two losses in a row leads to four and you're having team meetings. A lot of times that stuff gets overblown."
But it's not just the lack of a losing streak. The Warriors have spread out their losses well. They haven't lost two out of three games or even two out of four or five this season. Starting with the opener against the Spurs, here is how their season has gone: One loss, four wins, one loss, 12 wins, one loss, four wins, one loss, seven wins, one loss, four wins, one loss, seven wins, one loss, win on Wednesday in Charlotte.
"When you don't let them pile up, it helps the way everybody's acting," Green said. "Three-game losing streak, four-game losing streak, everybody's tight, trying to win this game so hard. Lose one and it's, ah, yeah, we're bouncing back. It's great for the environment."
Said Steph Curry: "It's big because you don't want everyone to get that negative energy in that locker room."
For basically every team, losing streaks during an NBA season are unavoidable. The marathon beats you down at some point. Maybe injuries creep up and some bad performances string together. But Golden State is on an incredible streak of 132 straight regular season games without losing two straight, an NBA record.
Beyond the fact that it means you are winning a lot of games, it also helps maintain a loose locker room vibe.
"Nobody wants to lose two in a row," Durant said. "I think if we go out there and lose two in a row, we're too tense, too pressed and we're not playing our game, which is relaxed and loose and disciplined."
