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The 2017/18 NBA season is right around the corner and teams have completed their preseason engagements and have decided on their rotations to begin their campaigns.The offseason was all about teams trying to get younger while others decided to re-tool their rosters in order to challenge Golden State Warriors better.
Oklahoma City Thunder have added two All-Stars in Paul George and Carmelo Anthony to their roster to go with the reigning regular season MVP, Russell Westbrook. Houston Rockets have added a leader of their own in Chris Paul as they look to the enhanced playmaking duo of Paul and James Harden to combat the Warriors.
The San Antonio Spurs have retained their core and will aim to play a smaller lineup and use Kawhi Leonard's rise to try and overcome Golden State.
In the East, Cleveland Cavaliers have switched a big part of their roster in Kyrie Irving for Isaiah Thomas, a man who had carved out a niche for himself in Boston.
Despite the change, the Cavs have enough firepower and shooting to rival the Warriors but need to develop a defensive identity that can help them go toe-to-toe with the Dubs and would be hoping that Jae Crowders adds just that.
With tipoff just under two days away, here's a look at five reasons why Golden State are primed to win their third NBA Championship in four years:
#5 Retaining their strong core
Following their dismantling of the Cavaliers in the NBA Finals, the Warriors approached the offseason with great urgency and purpose as they worked to retain most of their core.
General Manager Bob Myers had one goal at the beginning of free agency - to ensure the team can compete at the highest level for many years to come. Safe to say, he achieved that in a brilliant manner.
The Warriors brought back key bench players Andre Iguodala, Shaun Livingston and David West, in addition to re-signing Zaza Pachulia.
They also signed two-time MVP Steph Curry to a blockbuster 5-year, $201 million extension, thus securing the franchise's direction for the foreseeable future.
In addition, they signed Finals MVP Kevin Durant to a 2-year, $53 million contract with a player option for the second year. In agreeing that contract, Durant took $9 million less than the maximum, helping Myers bring back the veteran leadership and bench depth.
#4 Warriors' new signings add more bench scoring and depth
In Nick Young and Omri Casspi, the Golden State Warriors added two savvy veterans who know their skill-set perfectly and can complement the existing players on the roster.
Young offers some firepower coming off the bench, adding great shooting, especially 3-point shooting. He averaged around 58.8% True Shooting and shot over 40% from behind the arc in the 2016/17 season for the Los Angeles Lakers.
Casspi is a strong, tall wingman, whose length, energy and scoring adds another option on the bench. The Israeli is a good passer and makes great backdoor cuts, making him an ideal fit in the Warriors' system.
With the bench now consisting of Andre Iguodala, Shaun Livingston, JaVale McGee, Nick Young, David West, Omri Casspi, apart from Kevon Looney and Patrick McCaw, there are solid scoring options and role players to complement the starting five.
#3 Building for the future - Jordan Bell a great draft pick
The Dubs are currently hands down the best team in the NBA and from the looks of it, they have no intention of giving their spot up anytime soon.
Despite not having a pick in the 2017 draft, GM Bob Myers made sure he got the man he thought suited his team down to a tee. By paying the Chicago Bulls $3.5 million, the Warriors got the rights to their second-round pick - Jordan Bell.
Bell brings athleticism, basketball intelligence, and toughness to the roster and is seen by many as a replica of Draymond Green, who is thought to be the Warriors' emotional leader.
Be it his ability to block shots or make backdoor cuts and smart passes, the 22-year-old has all the right qualities to become a solid professional basketball player, who could develop to become a top-notch defensive enforcer and contributor on offense.
Apart from the 6'9" tall Bell, the presence of 21-year-olds McCaw and Looney also adds energy and depth to the Golden State bench, always a tremendous option to possess.
#2 Steve Kerr making progress on the road to full fitness
The Golden State Warriors' system is such that it does not depend a lot on coaches to figure out new things during games, but that does not undermine the importance of coach Steve Kerr in any manner.
In fact, it actually enhances the impact he has made in three seasons as their coach by establishing a culture of enabling others and providing a solid support system that has helped the team flourish.
Struggling with back issues, Kerr had to take a backseat during the 2017 Playoffs, missing 11 games, before returning to the team ahead of Game 2 against the Cleveland Cavaliers in the NBA Finals.
He had earlier also taken an indefinite leave of absence at the beginning of the 2015/16 season, missing the first 43 games during which time the Dubs went 39-4 under then interim head coach Luke Walton.
Now, the 52-year-old Kerr has indicated that he is getting back to full fitness and should be 100% sooner rather than later. Having him on the bench is a definite morale boost for the Dubs as they look to continue their winning run.
#1 Golden State not sitting on their laurels; primed to build a dynasty
The Warriors are definitely built to last the long run, having made the NBA Finals the last three years, winning two Championships.
Their core group of Steph Curry, Kevin Durant, Klay Thomson, Draymond Green and Andre Igoudala has an average age of 29 and are in the perfect position to contend for titles for at least three more seasons, giving them the chance of building a dynasty.
Also read: 5 reasons why Kevin Durant is having a forgetful 2017 offseason
In terms of offensive and defensive efficiency, these Dubs are among the best ever as a team to have played the game. And with the right amount of athleticism, scoring, and defensive strength, they have all the tools to win the 2017/18 NBA Championship.
It is now clear to fans and teams across the association that Warriors owner Joe Lacob was not bragging when he said the following in April 2016:
"We’re light-years ahead of probably every other team in structure, in planning, in how we’re going to go about things. We’re going to be a handful for the rest of the N.B.A. to deal with for a long time.”
Guess the Lakers players!
