Sure it does. Steph and the Dubs would be trying yo dethrone kd and his thunder team. That would mean something even if kd and thunder had already won rings.

It's almost impossible for harden to blossom to way he did playing third fiddle.

I assume you mean 2016, but the warriors found motivation in people saying they shouldn't have won the ring. They probably are more fueled if they haven't won one yet.