Post Durant Warriors Still a Dangerous Team
The dust is finally settling in the NBA’s free agency period for the summer of 2019. Teams are starting to get a clear picture of what they will look like. They are also understanding how their competition will shape up. The Los Angeles Lakers are coming out as winners at this time. The Los Angeles Clippers are also emerging as winners.
As a result, the Golden State Warriors are finally not the favorites to win the title. They are in a new position. The question now is if the Warriors are a good bet to come out on top of the Pacific division.
The competitive landscape
There are teams that should actually compete with the Warriors. This is at the top of the Western Conference, unlike in previous seasons. These teams are playing in Golden State’s own division. Those teams are, of course, the Lakers and Clippers.
The Clippers may be considered favorites to win the entire championship this year. This is due to the surprising additions of Kawhi Leonard and Paul George. With both players being elite two-way players, they could quickly make the Clippers the best team in the league.
As for the Lakers, they traded for Anthony Davis this offseason. They are adding additional pieces. These pieces could further bolster their roster. The addition of DeMarcusCousins with Davis and LeBron James creates a fearsome trio. They are fit to compete toe to toe with both the Clippers and Warriors. The question for handicappers will be if those teams can hold off the Warriors to earn a division title.
Still the team to beat
Before the start of the season, the Warriors might still be the team to beat in the Pacific. The biggest reason for this is something that all NBA picks should take into account: continuity. The Lakers and Clippers may well endure growing pains this season. Several star players need time to get used to playing together. They will face some of the biggest stages in the NBA. The Warriors may not be in perfect health. However, they understand how to collaborate effectively under the system of head coach Steve Kerr.
In addition to the edge that their continuity gives them, they are also still an incredible basketball team. They lost Kevin Durant in free agency. They also lost Klay Thompson to injury. Despite these losses, they will still boast former unanimous MVP Steph Curry. They will also have one of the most versatile players in the league, Draymond Green. Expect Kerr to do an incredible job of finding new wrinkles in their offense. He will ensure Curry gets open. This strategy will keep the Warriors at or near the top of the conference. This will happen even before Thompson’s eventual return.
The Clippers and Lakers are favored to win the Pacific over the Warriors. They are also favored to win the NBA Finals over the Warriors. This season, the Golden State Warriors will be underdogs for a change. It’s unusual for them not to be favored to finish at the top of their division. If the league should expect anything from the Warriors during the Kerr and Curry era, it’s resilience. Being an underdog won’t stop them from accomplishing their goals.