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Warriors Fans Should Get Excited For 2017

By Michael Shultz

Nov 26, 2016; Oakland, CA, USA; Golden State Warriors bench during the second quarter against the Minnesota Timberwolves at Oracle Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 26, 2016; Oakland, CA, USA; Golden State Warriors bench during the second quarter against the Minnesota Timberwolves at Oracle Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports /
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Dec 25, 2016; Cleveland, OH, USA; Golden State Warriors forward Kevin Durant (35) and Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James (23) at Quicken Loans Arena. Cleveland defeats Golden State 109-108. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 25, 2016; Cleveland, OH, USA; Golden State Warriors forward Kevin Durant (35) and Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James (23) at Quicken Loans Arena. Cleveland defeats Golden State 109-108. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports /

Will the Warriors Win Their Second Championship in Three Years?

When the Warriors added Durant to their already lethal arsenal, the move was made to get past the Cavaliers and win another championship. Both teams seem destined to meet again in June but the Warriors road to a championship will be much more difficult than their counterparts in Cleveland.

The Warriors main competition in the West will be the Spurs, Rockets and Clippers. All three teams propose problems with the Spurs and Rockets being their biggest threats. The Spurs are well oiled machine, coached by the best coach in the last 20 years in the NBA, Gregg Popovich. The Spurs are arguably the best defensive team in the league because their length and committing less fouls than anyone else. Leonard and Aldridge are their best performers and if they are clicking, they present major problems to Golden State’s frontcourt.

The Rockets only way to beat Golden State is to outscore them because they can not defend. Harden leads this team and has arguably been the MVP of the league. He is almost impossible to guard due to his shooting ability and a knack to get the free throw with a multitude of moves. His distribution is better than ever and with Anderson, Ariza and Gordon along the perimeter, give him more firepower than he has ever had. Whenever these teams meet, it is always a show and it should be no different in the postseason.

The Clippers are the last threat to Golden State reaching the NBA Finals because of their supreme talent. Chris Paul leads the Clippers and is one the best leaders in the league. Throw in Blake Griffin, DeAndre Jordan and JJ Redick and you have one of the best starting fives in the NBA.

The bench has improved too with the addition of former Warrior Marreese Speights, the consistency of Jamal Crawford and an increased role of Austin Rivers. It is one of the best benches in the league. But they are the Clippers and they always seem to underperform in the postseason. Whether it is injuries or poor play, the Clippers always seem to fail. If they can get their act to together, they propose a real threat to the Warriors.

Which brings us to Cleveland and the Cavaliers. The Cavaliers biggest advantage is they have best player in the game, James. James dominated in the NBA Finals last season scoring 30 points, 11 rebounds, 9 assists, two steals and two blocks per game while 50 percent from the field. The Warriors are not going to stop James but with the addition of Durant, they can neutralize him. They did that in the game on Christmas and did in the first four games of last year’s NBA Finals.

There is no reason why that formula will not happen again this season in June. As long as the Warriors are healthy, there is no team that can beat them. The Warriors lost last year’s Finals because they were not healthy, the excellence of James and other circumstances (a certain suspension). Do not expect him to be that good in 2017 NBA Finals and if he is, Golden State should still win because of their increased firepower.

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