How does the rest of the league respond?
The Golden State Warriors have a target on their back again. After back-to-back years of missing the playoffs, the Dubs rattled off a championship run — proving they are the team to beat moving forward.
That means Golden State is going to be receiving every squad’s best shot from here on out.
A random Tuesday night in January? Expect to play high-level basketball, because the rest of the league is using the Dubs as a measuring stick for their own progress.
How many other teams will be competing this year? The Denver Nuggets, LA Clippers, New Orleans Pelicans and Milwaukee Bucks will all be re-upped with the return of numerous star players while even the Brooklyn Nets are a dark horse candidate to pull it all together with the debut of Ben Simmons.
What about the Boston Celtics? Will the addition of Danilo Gallinari and Malcolm Brogdon put them over the top? How about another year of development for Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum?
Or the Miami Heat, who fell just one Jimmy Butler 3-pointer shy of reaching the NBA Finals and will be running it back?
The Dubs will have plenty of challenges to face — how many of them can push Golden State to the brink?