Many analysts and even current players have drawn parallels between this version of the Golden State Warriors, forced to play without an injured Kevin Durant and the 2014-15 team that won it all for the first time in 40 years. While Steve Kerr's team has reverted to the fun-loving, ball-sharing, constant movement style of offense that once made this team an NBA darling, general manager Bob Myers thinks these two teams aren't quite the same.

“I don’t think so. That was a very different time and different team,” Myers told Ron Kroichick of The San Francisco Chronicle. “That was a brand-new experience. These guys are grizzled veterans now, and there was more fragility to (2015). This is a more confident group. Steve has said: ‘The first one is always the hardest because you don’t know if you can do it.' Once you know you can do it, you have a confidence that only comes with having done it.”

That alone can be a potential upper hand over the Toronto Raptors, who stand in the way of a third straight title and the fourth in the last five years, perhaps one that can solidify the Warriors' place in the pantheon of dynasties.

In Durant's absence, Stephen Curry and Draymond Green have elevated their games even beyond what they did during their 2015 championship run — something Myers felt they must do.

“They had to, right? You gotta win, and they know how to win,” said Myers. “It’s OK, sacrificing doesn’t have to be a bad word. I think sacrificing for the team is a compliment to anyone. So now there was a moment when we needed more from them, and they stepped into it. Maybe there are moments when we need less, and that’s OK. It doesn’t have to be bad or good. If you keep winning, you don’t have to label it anything short of winning.”

The Warriors have plenty of question marks heading into Thursday's Game 1, including Durant's potential return and the inclusion of DeMarcus Cousins at some point throughout the series. Myers will take it game by game, as he always has, hoping the cards are in his favor, as they have been the past half decade.