2017–18 NBA Season Preview: Golden State Warriors

Adam Aaronson
Jul 30, 2017 · 3 min read

The Warriors steamrolled over the Cleveland Cavaliers in the NBA Finals last June, and as the Cavs get worse on the outside and begin to crumble on the inside, Warriors GM Bob Myers continues to pull off excellent offseasons, this one thanks to the massive pay-cut taken by Finals MVP Kevin Durant. Let’s take a look at what the defending champions did this summer.

Offseason Moves

Re-signed: Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant, Zaza Pachulia, Andre Iguodala, Shaun Livingston, JaVale McGee, David West

Added: Omri Casspi (Free Agency), Nick Young (Free Agency), Jordan Bell (Draft)

Lost: Ian Clark, James Michael-McAdoo, Matt Barnes

Let’s see here: the Warriors looked like the most dominant team in NBA history during the playoffs. They then brought back all major pieces to the puzzle, and upgraded a few weaknesses on their bench. They bought Jordan Bell, one of the biggest steals of the entire NBA Draft, and signed two quality role players to minimum contracts in Casspi and Young. Clark was the only player who had regular playing time that they’re losing, but the addition of Young along with the development of Patrick McCaw should more than make up for Clark’s absence.

The Key to Their Success

For many teams, the key to succeeding might mean a player having a totally unexpected breakout year, or something else that seems very much improbable. But all the Warriors have to do is stay healthy. If their players stay on the court, they will have no problem walking into the NBA Finals and easily taking home another title. All they need is their roster to be anything close to their best and there is currently no match for them in the entire NBA.

Player to Watch

Yes, the Warriors have four All-Stars in Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant, Draymond Green and Klay Thompson, but instead of watching them attentively, take a closer at second year swingman Patrick McCaw. He’s a player with a lot of upside and he has the potential to be a very valuable role player this year. But after this season, he becomes a restricted free agent, and if he plays well enough to earn a big paycheck, the Warriors likely won’t be able to afford bringing him back.

Best and Worst Case Scenarios

Best case: The Warriors break their own record for best regular season record in NBA history, but this time follow it up with a championship.

Worst case: They catch a terrible case of the injury bug, LeBron James and Kyrie Irving reconnect and the Warriors are handily defeated, failing all of the expectations cast upon them.

Predicting Their Fate

The Warriors sat comfortably atop the Western Conference standings last year, and it doesn't seem like there is any feasible scenario in which they don’t do so again. They got better while their biggest competition from last year, the San Antonio Spurs, got worse. And while the top seed seems inevitable, a Finals berth seems just as certain.

With the rest of the competition deteriorating in fear of Golden State, expect nothing less than yet another title for Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant, Klay Thompson, Draymond Green and the Warriors.

Prediction: Another NBA Finals victory for the Golden State Warriors

The Unprofessionals

Relentlessly honest opinions on all things sports and entertainment.

Adam Aaronson

Written by

Sports writer for The Unprofessionals (unprofession.com)

The Unprofessionals

Relentlessly honest opinions on all things sports and entertainment.

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