Strength in Numbers
New year. The golden standard continues. The Warriors sit atop the Western Conference and hold the second best record (55-24) in the NBA behind the top seeded Milwaukee Bucks (59-20) in the Eastern Conference. The Warriors look to 3 peat for the first time in franchise history and for the first time (in NBA) since 2002 (Los Angeles Lakers).
Mapping out the Playoffs
The great part about the 1st seed is that they won’t have to play the 2nd or 3rd seed until the conference finals. Personally, due to the lack of playoff experience, I believe the Denver Nuggets are pretenders, not contenders. On the contrary based on how the Rockets have done against the Warriors this season, they pose the biggest threat in the west.
(Photo Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)
The Warriors are likely to face the Spurs in the first round of the playoffs. Surprisingly enough, the Spurs have bested the Warriors 2/3 times they have gone head to head. At first glance, one might think the Spurs somewhat stand a chance…nope. Let’s be real here. It’s the Golden State Warriors, sure, they are human and are capable of losing more than 1 game (sounds crazy huh?). But it’s the playoffs… and they are the top-seeded team in the Western Conference= home court advantage. Although the Spurs bested the Warriors in 2/3 games, both wins came at home in San Antonio by a margin of 6+ points in each game. As for the one time the Spurs and Warriors went head to head in Oracle, the Spurs lost 141-102 or by 39 points! If the Spurs were the top seeded team I might’ve given them the benefit of the doubt by taking Golden State to 6 and eventually losing the series. However, because the first two games will be played in Oracle, I expect the Warriors to get off to a fast 2-0 lead in the series and close out in game 5 at home. After the 1st round, I expect a matchup against the Utah Jazz or Portland Trailblazers. I consider the Oklahoma City Thunder a sleeper team against the Nuggets, however, they were season swept by them… not the most convincing matchup. Then again they are half a game out of the 6th seed (Clippers 47-32). Regardless, I would not expect the 6th or 7th seed to pull off first-round upsets against the Nuggets or Rockets. The Utah Jazz against the Portland Trailblazers could go into 6 or 7 games as both teams split 2-2 in the regular season. So expect a matchup against the Trailblazers or Jazz in the second round, followed by a western conference finals rematch with the Houston Rockets.
Final Take.
Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
Starting off with this roster, I can write about every single one of these talented young individuals, but I am going to choose one and only one. It’s Steph Curry’s team no doubt about it. He is the glue that brings this team together as one, the heart and soul of Golden State who has been on this team longer than anyone else. But I am choosing THE BEST PLAYER in the NBA right now, Kevin Durant. The Warriors were already a GREAT team (73-9 to be exact..), but to go from a great to a DOMINANT team is where this matters most…especially playoff basketball. Durant is the definition of a complete two-way player. In his two playoff runs as a member of the Golden State Warriors, Kevin Durant has averaged 28.8 PTS/7.8 REB./4.5 AST./1.3 BLK. and has a 51.4 FG%. Let’s not forget, Kevin Durant closed not one but two games in Quicken Loans Arena (2 different seasons) with a cold blooded 3 in the last 50 seconds of each game. If the Warriors win the NBA Finals this season, it will be a 3 peat…but is anyone rooting for Kevin Durant to 3 peat as NBA Finals MVP?!
