As we head into the 2017-18 NBA season, we see a league that looks very different than it did last year. The Boston Celtics, Cleveland Cavaliers, Houston Rockets, Oklahoma City Thunder, and Minnesota Timberwolves all have new looks and should prove to be very exciting teams. However, none of these teams made moves that should take the Golden State Warriors off their perch as the top team in the league.
The Warriors' only obstacle to defending their title is health. So long as they stay healthy, they will win the NBA championship again. They simply have too many weapons. Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Kevin Durant, Andre Iguodala, and Draymond Green are good enough to be the go to option on nearly every other team in the league. Collectively, they form a unit that is virtually unstoppable.
What makes these five guys so tough to stop is their versatility and ability to play elite basketball on both ends of the floor, both inside and out. Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson form the most frightening three-point shooting duo the league has ever seen and Kevin Durant is one of the most lethal scorers the league has ever seen due to his combination of size, skill, and athleticism. As for Draymond Green and Andre Iguodala, those guys are some of the best defenders in the league, capable of making things tough on the best of players in the league. They're also guys who you can't leave open on offense.
Outside of those five guys, the Warriors have some very solid role players like JaVale McGee, Zaza Pachulia, Nick Young, Shaun Livingston, etc. They don't just have a ton of talent. They have a ton of talent with depth. It's not like you can easily make up ground when their stars are resting. They have a second string that is good enough to hang with most starting lineups in the league, allowing them to give their stars ample rest and not wear them out too much during the grueling regular season.
Unfortunately for the Warriors' opponents, it's highly unlikely the injury bug derails their season. When you have a team as deep as the Warriors, you can keep your stars fresh and still win games handily. That's what makes this Warriors team close to unbeatable. Nobody can beat them in a seven game series when they are at full strength and even if a couple guys get hurt, they're still probably the favorites.
This upcoming NBA season promises to be very exciting due to all the moves that have happened, but make no mistake; there should be very little drama when it comes to who wins it all. The Warriors are way out in front of everybody else and will practically need to hand the Larry O'Brien Trophy to another team to not come out on top.
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