Earlier today we asked readers to weigh in on who they thought might be capable of contending with the Celtics and Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference. This time around, we’d like to hear who could emerge as a serious threat to win the Western Conference ahead of Kevin Durant and the Warriors.
Currently pegged by Vegas as 4/11 favorites to win the West, the Warriors are head and shoulders above their closest peers. That’s not so surprising considering that earlier this week we asked readers whether they thought the club would exceed the 67.5 win-threshold that NBA oddsmakers had set for them.
A whopping 54% said Over!
Sure the Warriors have won 67, 73 and 67 games over the course of the last three years, respectively, but it’s worth pointing out that a 68-win campaign would put them in a tie with the 1967 Sixers for the fifth most wins of all time.
Appreciating the historical context of what the Warriors have done and truly recognizing the consensus that says Golden State will once again put forth a blisteringly dominant campaign, who of the remaining Western Conference clubs could possibly top them in a seven-game series?
Will the addition of Chris Paul push the Rockets into the conversation? Can the Spurs strike gold again after falling short the past few seasons? Could an upstart like the Timberwolves or Nuggets catch them sleeping in a second-round battle?
You tell us in the comments below.
The west is loaded. Timberwolves will probably need a year or two to gel, but I like the Spurs chances if anyone is going to contend. They play defense, and you can never count out a team coached by pops. As long as they’re healthy, I think they’re the team that would come close to challenging the Warriors.
They did nothing this offseason but watch the Rockets go passed them.
There won’t be anything new to see in the west next season aside from watching the Lakers contend for the 8th seed.
They added a very versatile scorer and capable defender for nothing in Rudy Gay to come off the bench. Adding to an already deep bench. If any of the rockets starters get hurt, they’re f’d.
Rudy Gay is coming off an Achilles tear though. Honestly I think they would have been better off keeping Simmons.
Your readers should stay out of the sports book! GSW players will be getting rest…not regular season records.
As for the sports book, I hope a bettor understands that the GSW odds quoted at “4/11” IS NOT “11 to 4”!!! Bet a dollar, get back about $1.36 eight months later if I am correct. It’s more of a savings plan than a gamble!
As for the question, unless the Rockets can get Melo, I would take the GSW savings plan.
BOLD BOLD Prediction right here…Warriors do not make the finals… now before you think I’m stupid hear me out. For the past 3 years the Warriors have had very good injury luck, yeah curry got injured in the 2016 playoffs but they had a 3-1 lead in the finals at one point so it couldn’t have affect him that much by then. At some point one of the 4 superstars on the Warriors are going to get a bad injury at the wrong time, just like kyrie and klove in 2015 and kwahi in 2017, Chris Paul and Blake griffin multiple times if somehow this team can go without sustaining a major injury they’d be very lucky. To go along with that the amount of talent in the west it’s just hard to think that one team is the for sure lead team. What if Paul Geroge and Russ click and Steven Adams becomes a beast down low and is a match up nightmare for the Warriors. What if Jimmy butler and KAT click and Wiggins learns to play D, Kat would be a nightmare for the Warriors. What if dame and McCollum progress as teammates and nurkic breaks out. What if the Rockets get Carmelo and harden and Chris Paul are better together than we think? Who’s gonna guard all 3 of them? Klay can guard one and KD another but are you going to put Draymond on Carmelo and leave curry to guard the 4? Or will curry have to come out and iggy on? What if the clippers with stars like Blake deandre and Gallinari a very good distributor and shooter in tedosic to get the ball to the stars 3 6th man of the year candidates in rivers Beverly and Lou Williams and about 5 other guys that can give you solid minuets this team is literally 3 players deep of young players and vets that can get you buckets. The you have the spurs who are always good and have one of the best 2 way players in the league and had a 30 point lead on the Warriors in game one before Zaza injured kwahi And finally the biggest wild card because this team would have the biggest mismatch against the Warriors but a lot of people don’t like the combination, The Pelicans, Boogie and AD the two most dominating big men in the league against a team with a 6’8″ PF and a C that is only good for injuring a teams best player if these two work together, rondo is playoff rondo and doesn’t cause any problems and jrue holiday can shoot the rock and play d this team could cause a ruckus in the playoffs. I just feel that there’s too much talent for 1 team to hold everyone back. Teams will be playin dirty and banging the Warriors up because everyone wants to claim that they beat the unbeatable and I think when it comes to conference finals time they will be wore down with fatigue and possible injuries that they’ve stayed away from for the past 3 years and a team not named the Warriors will be representing the west in the finals……………………and then lose to bron
You don’t make sense with all those “ifs”!!!! Pssh
ifs arent something that just don’t make sense. They either happen or they don’t. If they do happen then you get one out come and if they don’t then you get another outcome. I could say the what if the sky turns green? Well if it doesn’t then we’ll just go on with our lives if it does well then I feel a lot of people will be concerned
Barring injuries, Warriors no Doubt
Hoping they play the 8th seeded Lakers!
You make a bold, definite prediction based on a bunch of what ifs?? Then to compound your really messed up thinking you make claims like how can Dubs guard rockets big 3 of Melo, Paul, n Harden?? First Melo is another what if. But even if he’s there what makes u think the Dubs can’t guard them . Curry has guarded Paul n Harden in the past n reasonably succeeded. U make it sound like Curry is blind like Stevie Wonder and couldn’t find his way in a defensive scheme. He is underrated as a defender n has led the league in steals . Have Melo n Harden done that? The warriors can easily throw him + defensive maniacs iggy + Thompson on those 3 n can shut down them down . N here’s the biggest question – how will those 3 perform defensively against the Dubs . Out of the 3 only Paul can defend well. Harden n Melo have more holes in their defense than a spaghetti strainer. you think Melo can switch on to KD n stop him? U think Harden will have the patience to chase Thompson around? With the Warriors bodies move around on offense . Senior citizens at a care home move better than Harden n Melo on defense. N baby the way the Spurs were only up by 23 not 30 on the Warriors when Kawai got injured. By warrior standards 23 is very surmountable, especially with Kawai hobbling around ( he got injured earlier by his own tmate even before the pachulia sequence). Heck in the regular season they trailed a complete Spurs team by 20 on the road n the dubs without KD. Dubs came back to win n not even close . So wat makes u think 23 was insurmountable to a 3 point shooting team like the Warriors at home?? Get your facts straight!
Personally I don’t like the combination of Chris Paul and harden but if I’m talking about possible contenders I have to include them. Also the spurs I don’t like too much because they didnt make any significant moves in the offseason but again they have the best coach in the league and multiple guys that can lockup the Warriors. But thats just 2 of the teams i named, you can point out flaws like that for every team including the Warriors. I’m not stupid I know there’s about a 95% chance that the Warriors win another western conference title, but I just have a gut feeling that with all the opportunities for teams to break out I feel that one team can outmatch the Warriors in a best of 7 series.
Don’t go to Vegas bro.
Why the hell would I bet against a team that I think has a 90% chance to win? You probably didn’t read
Make that 95%
No I read everything you said. You factor in a lot of hypotheticals and what ifs into your thinking. Obviously the West is much stronger this year, but no one is even close to the Warriors.
Minnesota has a nice team, but youth, inexperience, and chemistry are navigated with time. San Antonio is always good, but in their current incarnation can not hold a candle to GS. OKC blew their wad when they traded Harden, George is a great player, but he and Russ have ZERO chance at beating GS in a 7 game series. Houston has talent, but after Paul and Harden, what is left on the current roster…Capela??
The correct answer to this question is, it is irrelevant. The team that comes to mind would’ve been the ’96 Bulls, but in the current NBA landscape nobody is in the same universe as the Warriors.
For arguments sake, let’s say that one of the teams you listed COULD actually throttle GS on D… What about the bench?? GS easily has the best bench in the league. It’s definitely pick your poison with them.
GS has a chokehold on the NBA for as long as they can keep that roster together. They understand the team concept far better than any other team.
I comment because you contradict yourself. You make the BOLD BOLD prediction that GS doesn’t make the finals, but then you are 95% certain that they will win…Which is it?? You do remember they went 16-1 through the playoffs right?? That was the West, and not the watered down East. Does not matter which superstar other teams add, GS is a historical dynasty.
with all due respect, you might be responding to the wrong poster when you say I don’t think the Warriors will make the Finals.
No, reference Parker’s comment from September 3. He opens by saying in his bold bold prediction that the Warriors do not make the finals.
You’re right I am contradicting myself. I worded it very poorly. It’s more of a gut feel rather than a prediction. I just feel that eventually someone will figure out this team. It’s probably more likely to happen next year rather than this year but I just have a gut feeling with all the talent that had been put together that one of the teams will Excell.
Eventually sure, GS will abdicate the throne. I think it will be salary cap related before any other team is ready to make that jump though.
I am actually a Kings fan and not a Warriors fan, but to me, it is a foregone conclusion that Golden State will repeat. With that said, I am very curious to see some of the other teams this year.
I am curious to see how Boston works out, in addition to Philadelphia. I have my reservations about Houston, but they will definitely be a team to watch. Clippers might not have a big of drop as some think… Wolves…the list goes on and on.
I also do not believe at the Kings are going anywhere this year — but I am excited to see the young kids that we brought in.
Point out one flaw in the Warriors roster, 1-13. I really want to know.
Zaza is not a great starting center, yeah the league is going small but be could be exposed by guys like kat boogie and ad who are more versatile offensively then your average center and are quite big for Draymond to guard, you also have 2 guys that have had significant injuries in KD and curry and both were out with scary injuries recently. And then draymonds temper problems they probably won’t be a huge deal but did come into play in 2016. Other than that there’s not much.
Show me a flaw in the Warriors roster. Last season the second unit lacked a reliable scorer, which was their only real weakness. They’ve since replaced Clark, Barnes and McAdoo with Young, Casspi and Jordan Bell.
Careful there, I’d lie down for a while, you have obviously bumped your head. The warriors will dominate again this year and will look great with three rings in four years. No other team is close.
LMAO
That’s really hard to read. You should have put that in paragraphs.
The Warriors starters destroy OKC, Houston, the Clips and the Wolves. But their bench will be an even bigger mismatch. Which team’s bench keeps up with Iguodala, McCaw, a healthy Casspi, Nick Young, Livingston, David West, JaVale, and maybe even Jordan Bell. Barring injury, the Warriors have none weakness. Their bench can score and defend better than any other.
Lakers earn the number two pick in the draft…again. Further strengthening the C’s. Far more likely than them making the playoffs in the west!
Okay, I agree with everyone that the Warriors are big favorites, and should be. I don’t expect any of the teams in the West to stop them. However, the question posed here is, “Who is a dark horse that could possibly challenge them?” I’m going to leave out the Rockets and Spurs, because they aren’t dark horses, they’re the obvious challengers. From among the others, though, I’ll make a pitch for the Wolves making the big jump. Many ifs here, and I won’t get into all of them, I admit that’s it’s a long shot–but that’s what a dark horse is.
Here’s the main thought here: Karl-Anthony Towns put up one of the best rookie seasons in NBA history. And he followed that up with an excellent second season. His career trajectory compares favorably to players who became superstars, like Tim Duncan. So–what if, and I don’t think this is a big “what if?”–what if KAT becomes one of the ten best players in the league this year? He will be soon; he could be this year. His defense has been mediocre, absolutely, but he is a willing defender. With Thibs having the guys he wants around KAT and Wiggins now, there’s every reason to be optimistic about the defense and KAT’s defense. So, if KAT is a top-10 or top-15 guy, and Butler is a top-15 guy, and Wiggins, by a similar argument, could be a top-30 or top-40 guy. That’s three stars that, as the season goes along and they get more comfortable with each other, have the chance to be dark horses in the West.
Remember, I am not claiming this is likely, I’m claiming that this is not outside the realm of possibility…
I was trying to do the same thing you did in my reply above but you worded it 10× better and people took mine the wrong way but if you want to look at my thoughs I listed off my thoughts on the possibilities of the “dark horses” In a different reply
The Wolves bench stinks. Thanks for Casspi, though.
So much reading
& so few paragraphs!
Show me a weakness in this Warriors roster, 1-13. The Dubs will come at their opponents in waves. It’s not just about Curry, Durant and the stars and starters. No bench in the Association can keep up with this team in full flight.