The Golden State Warriors are the main favorites to win the NBA title this season. There’s no question about that. Steve Kerr’s team reached 65 wins for the third straight season, and they have looked dominant late in the season. To make things even better, Kevin Durant returned from injury and that gives Golden State another weapon down the stretch.
With the playoff field all set in the Western Conference, it’s time to analyze which franchise can prevent the Warriors from reaching the NBA Finals for a third straight year. And we don’t need a deep look to see not many teams have what it takes to accomplish that feat.
First and Second Round opponents
The Warriors’ first-round opponent will be the Portland Trail Blazers. Portland might give Golden State a few problems with Damian Lillard and C.J. McCollum, but that’s it. They don’t have a deep squad, and they depend solely on what their backcourt duo can accomplish. Jusuf Nurkic has given them quite a boost on the inside, but can anyone see him challenging Draymond Green or Zaza Pachulia? The Warriors should cruise their way against the Blazers, and a sweep shouldn’t surprise anyone.
Moving forward, Golden State would go against the Utah Jazz or Los Angeles Clippers. This is an interesting situation. Facing the Clippers would represent a new chapter in their rivalry, but the Jazz would be the tougher opponent. In any case, though, the Warriors are favorites. Los Angeles can match them up offensively at times, but I honestly don’t see them going toe-to-toe with the Dubs over the course of seven games. Meanwhile, Utah would complicate them on the defensive end, but they don’t have the offense to match up with Golden State.
The Warriors fared quite well against both teams during the regular season. They swept the Clippers 3-0, and went 2-1 against Utah after losing 105-99 on Monday.
Potential WCF Rivals
If we look at the bottom part of the draw, we will find the San Antonio Spurs, the Houston Rockets, the Oklahoma City Thunder, and the Memphis Grizzlies. The series haven’t started yet, but the Rockets and the Spurs have a clear edge to advance. It might be a coincidence, but these two franchises also represent the bigger threats to the Warriors. Let’s see why.
In the case of San Antonio, we can see Gregg Popovich knows how to play against them. I mean, there’s a reason why the Spurs won two of three against them. And it’s worth noting that if the Spurs hadn’t had an epic meltdown, San Antonio could’ve easily won all three games. The Warriors have the better roster, but San Antonio has the weapons to stop them. If there’s one team Golden State doesn’t want to face come playoff time, that’s the Spurs.
On the other hand, we have the Rockets and their offense. They might struggle defensively and could have a hard time to stop the likes of Durant and Steph Curry on a nightly basis, but they will answer every Golden State bucket with another one. Golden State won all three meetings during the regular season, but we know the playoffs have a different atmosphere. And the Rockets have enough weapons to complicate Golden State on prolonged stretches.
All things considered, it seems the Spurs are the only team with enough talent, skill and experience to stop Golden State from reaching the NBA Finals for a third straight season. With the postseason coming soon, it won’t be long before we find out which franchise will dethrone the Dubs. If there is one, of course.