3. West is stacked
The last time the Golden State Warriors were competitive, they really only had one threat in the Western Conference. Only the Houston Rockets posed a real chance of taking them down. Things are very different now.
For starters, the Rockets might be the least of their worries. The small-ball experiment fell apart against the Los Angeles Lakers as we saw how dominant this LA defense can be. Anthony Davis is on the rise as a superstar and LeBron James doesn’t appear to be going anywhere anytime soon.
Meanwhile, the Denver Nuggets have shocked everyone by being a real threat to the throne. They showed unbelievable heart in their 3-1 comeback over the LA Clippers and made a statement that this young team will be in contention for years to come.
Still lingering are the Utah Jazz and Portland Trail Blazers – these teams both stand just a few moves away from being in the run for a title. Meanwhile, young teams such as the Phoenix Suns, Dallas Mavericks and New Orleans Pelicans are on the horizon as well.
The Warriors will have to run through the gauntlet in order to return to the NBA Finals next season.