The Golden State Warriors have not had much experience entering the season as one of the elite teams in the NBA. This year, they are entering the season with enormous expectations and have an opportunity to take the Western Conference by storm. Steph Curry and Klay Thompson are currently in their prime and should be together for years to come.
Some feel the Warriors have potential to be one of the top teams in the West, but according to the ESPN Power Rankings, they will finish as the fourth seed and face the Portland Trail Blazers in the first round. Amin Elhassan of ESPN talks about Steve Kerr’s impact on the offense and the new look second unit:
With new head coach Steve Kerr at the helm, the Warriors hope to unlock their stunted offensive potential by cobbling together a “best of” playbook from Kerr’s various coaching influences — some triangle offense here, a little “7 seconds or less” there, a splash of Spurs continuity.
Only three teams are ahead of the Warriors in the rankings. The defending champs are rightfully expected to finish first, the Los Angeles Clippers come in at number two and the Oklahoma City Thunder are the projected third seed. The Western Conference is stacked, so to finish fourth seems like a realistic projection. However, the Warriors have the talent and depth to chase a higher seed.
The Warriors are still young enough to play a lot of games this season, but Kerr might want to save his key players for the post-season. David Lee and Andrew Bogut’s health will be the biggest question mark. If they can stay healthy, the Warriors are one of the deepest teams in the league and will surprise a lot people around the league.