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Golden State Warriors: What is at stake this season?

By Tony Pesta

OAKLAND, CA - JUNE 12: Kevin Durant #35, Stephen Curry #30, Klay Thompson #11, and head coach Steve Kerr of the Golden State Warriors look on during the Golden State Warriors Victory Parade on June 12, 2018 in Oakland, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Noah Graham/NBAE via Getty Images)
OAKLAND, CA - JUNE 12: Kevin Durant #35, Stephen Curry #30, Klay Thompson #11, and head coach Steve Kerr of the Golden State Warriors look on during the Golden State Warriors Victory Parade on June 12, 2018 in Oakland, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Noah Graham/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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(Photo by Rocky Widner/NBAE via Getty Images)
(Photo by Rocky Widner/NBAE via Getty Images) /

The Golden State Warriors are fully prepared to make a run at their third straight NBA championship.

This season will be pivotal for the future of the Golden State Warriors franchise. Many questions will be answered as they pursue their third consecutive NBA title. A championship in this season would be the fourth time the Dubs won the NBA Finals in the past five seasons. However, winning three consecutive championships comes at a cost.

Not many teams have been able to keep a core unit together long enough to see this much success. Furthermore, pushing far enough to three-peat is something that only legendary teams are capable of. The Warriors will have to prove their status as NBA greats in order to cap this season off with a ring.

The physical and mental toll of constantly competing for rings can be exhausting. It is very likely that at some point in this season the Warriors will burn out and hit a hall. This is where we will find out how resilient this squad truly is.

There are a number of roadblocks in their path this season. The balancing of chemistry between five All-Stars will be difficult. DeMarcus Cousins will be fighting to recover from a serious injury. Meanwhile, Klay Thompson and Kevin Durant both have looming contracts that end with the season.

To top it all off, the competition around the league has only gotten better. The Houston Rockets, Boston Celtics, Oklahoma City Thunder and Los Angeles Lakers will all be gunning for the Warriors throne this season. This only adds to the mounting pressure surrounding the team.

If this season goes the wrong way, the effects could be catastrophic. Imagine the locker room problems Cousins could cause if he grows frustrated due to either his injury or reduced role as a superstar. Any of these stars growing uncomfortable in their role would prove to be deadly to the chemistry.

Failure to succeed this season could very well mark the end of their run. Durant and Thompson could both be gone by the end of the season. This would be enough to make the Warriors vulnerable again to the rest of the league.

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The pressure to win this season will be high. This may be the greatest team ever assembled and if they fall short it could be the last season we see them play together. The stakes for Golden State are higher than ever.

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