Rankings the Warriors top-five playoff threats

The Golden State Warriors won’t have an easy route to their third-straight championship. That said, who do they need to look out for this postseason?

Unlike in year’s past, the Golden State Warriors aren’t head and shoulders above every other team. Last year, Houston began the process of closing the gap between the defending champs and themselves.

While they didn’t quite manage to get there, they put together a blueprint for teams trying to dethrone the Dubs. The Rockets took the Warriors to seven games by lining their roster with two ball-dominant superstars, an elite rim-rolling big, and a plethora of top-tier role players.

Now, a few other teams have mimicked Houston’s roster-creation strategy.

While many of league’s top teams have gotten the better of the Dubs this season, the Warriors have proven time and time again that they can flip the switch. They just don’t have the energy to get up for every primetime regular season anymore after four straight Finals appearances.

However, they know what’s on the line this time.

The dynasty could be what goes down if this team can’t figure out a way to three-peat. With DeMarcus Cousins, Kevin Durant and Klay Thompson all free agents at the season’s end, it’ll be paramount for the Dubs to figure out how to conquer the league yet again.

That said, let’s break down the top-five opponents that could get in the way of that three-peat.