NBA preview: Who has a chance to beat the Warriors?
The NBA season is just around the corner now. Teams have held their media days. Training camps have started. Soon enough, preseason will be underway and opening night will be upon us.
It’s a glorious time to be alive.
So, without further ado, we’re going to be previewing the upcoming NBA season, ranging from what teams have a chance to still be playing in June to what players could either save or sink their teams.
We start with the question that will undoubtedly be rehashed hundreds, if not thousands of times over the coming months: does any team have a chance of beating the Warriors? It’s a strange question to ask seeing as you can’t say ‘defending champs’ and ‘Warriors’ together. But it’s a legitimate question, nonetheless, and the answer is emphatic. Of course there freaking are. This is the NBA we’re talking about. The NBA season has more twists and turns than Six Flags. We know nothing about what’s to come and it’s foolish to think that we do before the season even begins.
Let me be clear. You’re going to hear throughout the season that the Warriors are on an unstoppable course to an NBA championship. Don’t believe it for a second. Not that the Warriors won’t win the championship. They’re an immensely talented team that could blow the rest of the Association out of the water a la the final scene of Jaws. But if we learned anything from last year’s playoffs, it’s that we shouldn’t assume anything, even a 3-1 Finals lead.
That being said, if any team wants to win the championship, they’ll have to go through Golden State to do so. And there’s only a few teams with the talent and ability to go through Golden State and come out victorious. And sorry, but the Clippers are not one of them. The following, however, are:
Cleveland Cavaliers
No one’s forgotten about the Cavs’ improbable title last year. But Cleveland has much the same vibe as Golden State did to start last season. A lot of people point to Curry’s knee and Bogut’s injury in the Finals to slightly diminish the Cavs’ Finals win. And very few people are talking much about the Cavs’ chances to repeat. But the Cavs still represent the biggest threat to a possible Warriors dynasty. They play in the East, and until someone has the audacity to beat LeBron James before he reaches the Finals, then the Cavs will always have at least a puncher’s chance at a title. Plus, the Cavs may be better this year than they were last. We won’t see Matthew Dellavedova launching bricks off the bench this year. Instead, we’ll see sharp-shooter Mike Dunleavy. Kyrie Irving will be confident as all get out after his Finals performance and Kevin Love finally learned how to play defense. And they still have LeBron. Until LeBron is dethroned, his team will always have a say in the championship some way or another.
San Antonio Spurs
Unpopular opinion alert! I think the Spurs might actually be better off with Tim Duncan retiring. Let’s face it, Duncan was old with a lot of miles. He couldn’t move as well as he used to and was repeatedly targeted in an increasingly past-faced league. The Spurs are going through an imperative youth movement, though they’re spreading it over several years. They moved on from Duncan and Boris Diaw, though they did bring in Pau Gasol to bolster the frontcourt. But younger guys are becoming much more prevalent on the roster. They had Dejounte Murray fall to them in the draft, which is simply inexplicable. Kyle Anderson looks like a younger version Diaw. And don’t be surprised if former Villanova Wildcat Ryan Arcidiacono carves out a decent reserve role on this team. Combined with Danny Green, LaMarcus Aldridge, Kawhi Leonard and others, there’s a good basis of talent in San Antonio. Even Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili on their last legs are good assets. Gregg Popovich has more toys to play with now, and we’ve learned over the years to never count Popovich out.
Boston Celtics
This is not a ‘homer’ pick. Okay, it is a little. But there’s solid reasoning behind it! The Celtics were the only team to beat both the Cavaliers and the Warriors on the road. They’re the only team who the Warriors haven’t beaten by more than 5 points in the last two seasons. And if versatility is the name of the game, the Celtics can stand toe-to-toe with anyone in the league, including Golden State. The Celtics’ OLDEST player is the newly acquired Al Horford, who’s only 30. A perimeter defense of Jae Crowder, Avery Bradley, Marcus Smart, Terry Rozier and others has a legitimate claim as the best unit in the NBA. Jaylen Brown has shown potential over the summer to become an athletic menace on the court. And don’t forget the plethora of draft capital management could still find a way to trade for another impact star. This year, the Celtics have an outside shot at crashing the party for the Warriors and Cavs. Further down the line, there may not be a team better suited to compete for championships.
Utah Jazz
If any team is better suited than the Celtics to compete in the long run, it’s the Jazz. The Jazz might still lack the superstar that can simply take over a game, but they more than make up for that with their depth. The Jazz have 10 players on their roster that all have a case to be made for a starting spot. Rudy Gobert and Derrick Favors are quite possibly the best frontcourt in the NBA. Rodney Hood has shown the potential to become that much needed superstar. Gordon Hayward is still the same reliable wing player he’s been for several seasons. And they return Dante Exum from injury, who, along with George Hill, should solve the point guard troubles that plagued them last year. Aside from injuries, the offense will determine how far Utah can go. The defense is already elite, but the offense has usually failed to meet the same standards. If incomers Joe Johnson, Diaw, and Hill can propel the offense forward, and Jazz playoff run could finally materialize.
Minnesota Timberwolves
I am ridiculous high on the Timberwolves. They are must-watch television this year. Karl-Anthony Towns was 11th in PER last year, and could jump into the top 5 in the NBA this year. Kris Dunn has a very good shot at winning rookie of the year honors. Andrew Wiggins is a terrific second option after Towns. And don’t forget the wealth of talent on the roster with Zach LaVine, Ricky Rubio, Shabazz Muhammad and others. Yes, the Timberwolves didn’t even sniff the playoffs last year. Yes, they finished 29-53. But they were one of only nine teams to beat the Warriors in the regular season last year, and that’s not by luck. Minnesota is poised to jump into the NBA’s elite very soon and they only have to look at the Warriors for inspiration. In 2012, the Warriors finished 23-43 in the lockout-shortened season. The next year? They finished 47-35 and made it to the second round of the playoffs, losing to the Spurs in a hard-fought series. Minnesota, led by superstar-in-waiting Towns, have a chance to surpass even that.
Or some other team could come out of nowhere to surprise us all. This is, after all, the NBA season.