Can anybody stop the Warriors?
There has been a thought in many NBA circles that the Western Conference playoffs will be more wide open this year than ever before. All eight teams provide star-power and have some level of postseason experience, with many having a wealth of it.
Yet, one team stands above all the others. The Golden State Warriors are going to earn the conference’s top seed, currently standing with a 52-13 record. The Warriors are 6.5 games ahead of the second-seeded Memphis Grizzlies and are all but locked into having the ORACLE Arena as a backdrop for any Game 7 they may face. Golden State has been virtually unbeatable in the Bay Area, sporting a 29-2 mark.
The Warriors have not only been winning, they have been overwhelming. Golden State’s backcourt duo of Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson, a.k.a. the Splash Bros., get most of the attention from the press. Yet, not talking about the frontcourt would be a great injustice to head coach Steve Kerr’s team. Draymond Green has been an invaluable starter at power forward all year, averaging 11.6 points and a team-high 8.2 rebounds per game. At center, the combination of Andrew Bogut and Marreese Speights has totaled a 34.8 Player Efficiency Rating, giving Golden State one of the tougher interiors in the league. Then there is Harrison Barnes, who has started all 65 games and plays 29 minutes/night with 10 points and 5.7 rebounds/game.
Still, it is Curry and Thompson which drive the engine. The pair represent the best shooting backcourt arguably in NBA history and this year, are putting up 45.5 points/game between the two. Curry is the main reason why the Warriors lead the league in assists/game, averaging 7.8. It is poetry in motion with Golden State, with Kerr standing on the sideline as a proud maestro.
In comparison to other squads, the Warriors shine with a point differential of +10.2 per game. The margin is widely superior to everyone else, with the Atlanta Hawks checking in second at +6.1. The teams will meet each other in a potential Finals preview on Wednesday evening.
It is tough to see anybody in the West taking the Warriors down. Memphis has the size and toughness led by Zach Randolph, Marc Gasol and Mike Conley Jr., but can it score enough? The Portland Trail Blazers are compromised without their terrific scorer/defender in Wesley Matthews, and the Dallas Mavericks can’t seem to put it all together. The Houston Rockets have ample talent but don’t show up defensively on a consistent basis, while the Los Angeles Clippers are mentally engaged one night, whining too much the next.
It appears the two teams with the best shot of taking out Golden State are the Oklahoma City Thunder and San Antonio Spurs. If the Thunder can get Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant on the floor at the same time, paired with Enes Kanter, they could be dangerous. In all likelihood, Oklahoma City will draw the Warriors in the first round, setting up an epic clash. The Spurs loom for all the obvious reasons, led by their experience, talent and coach. San Antonio will not be an easy out.
In a month, we will find out if anybody can stand up to the Warriors.
