The Golden State Warriors are under a month till they’ll be playing in the Western Conference playoffs’ first round. Their opponent is yet to be set though.
It’s not a lock, but if the Golden State Warriors continue their current trend, they’ll likely enter the first round of the 2019 NBA playoffs as the No. 1 seed in the West. That’ll mean they’ll get homecourt advantage against the No. 8 seed.
That No. 8 seed will come down to one of four opponents.
The Oklahoma City Thunder, who have struggled recently, the Utah Jazz, the Los Angeles Clippers and the San Antonio Spurs are the four teams that’ll be vying for that last spot. They’re tied at seven games behind the Warriors, all 42-30.
Yes, all four teams are tied with the same record with ten games remaining. This is quite the race, and the loser of the race will get the Golden State Warriors in the first round. If the four teams played their next ten like they did their last ten, it’d be the Thunder taking on Golden State.
However, the team that loses this race will likely kiss their Finals hopes goodbye. A rested Warriors roster would be a tough test for any of the 15 other opponents that’ll find themselves in the first round of the postseason.
That said, who should the Warriors want to play? Let’s breakdown how these four teams rank from toughest to easiest.