The Golden State Warriors have lived up to all expectations with 50 wins through their first 61 games. While the Cleveland Cavaliers are the defending NBA champions, the Warriors are still the sports betting favorites to win the NBA title this season. Golden State will have some tough competition even getting through the Western Conference with the San Antonio Spurs and Houston Rockets in their way – especially now that Kevin Durant is out. We’re still waiting to see whether he’ll be out weeks or months, but the Warriors have taken a significant hit with the knee injury to their MVP candidate.
The good news is that the Western Conference is not as stacked as it once was. In previous years, the Warriors might have received a stiff test in the first round but as it stands now, the Warriors probably won’t be pushed that much until the Western Conference final. By then, Durant might be back. With that in mind, here is a look at the lower seeds that won’t be giving the Warriors a run for their money.
Utah Jazz
The Jazz have been one of the biggest surprises in the NBA with 38 wins, which has them ranked fourth in the Western Conference standings. Utah owns the top-ranked defense in the NBA. While that is easily the biggest reason why they are where they are in the standings, they also own the NBA’s 28th ranked offense. The Jazz should be able to keep most opponents in check but they will have a tough time slowing down a Warriors offense that is unlike any others in the association. Interestingly enough, in the two meetings so far this season, the Jazz have held the Warriors to just 105.0 points per game, which is quite good, but the Jazz have only averaged 86.5 points per contest themselves. While they’re a nice story, they simply don’t have the experience or the scoring to really challenge the Warriors in a seven-game series.
Los Angeles Clippers
The Clippers opted to stay the course at the NBA trade deadline and that means they still don’t have the pieces to contend with the top teams in the Western Conference come playoff time. Chris Paul, Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan make up an intriguing core but they don’t have enough support around them to think that they can compete with the Warriors, Spurs and Rockets. Golden State in particular will give them trouble come playoff time as they have throughout the regular season. The Warriors are 4-0 against the Clippers this season with all four wins via double-digit point differentials. And what’s worse is that the Warriors beat the Clippers in their better days. This is a team that’s now barely playing .500 basketball. The Clippers started the season 14-2 but are merely 22-23 in their last 45 games.
Oklahoma City Thunder
For as much as most NBA fans would love to see Russell Westbrook and the Thunder shock the world and take down Kevin Durant and the Warriors in a playoff series, the reality is that it just won’t happen. Golden State has won each of the first three meetings against Oklahoma City, outscoring them by at least 16 points in each of those three wins. The Thunder have been an exciting team to watch with Westbrook chasing an MVP award with a triple-double almost every game but they simply don’t have the firepower to keep up with a team as talented and dominant as the Warriors. Also, if you take a look at the Thunder’s numbers this season, they’ve feasted on teams with a losing record and struggled against winning outfits. That’s going to be a problem for them.
Denver Nuggets
While Utah’s success has been a major surprise, nobody expected Denver to make the postseason. The Nuggets are two games up on the Sacramento Kings for the final playoff spot in the Western Conference but even if they do make it they will be in tough to avoid a sweep at the hands of Golden State. Denver’s fourth-ranked offense can keep up with most opponents but even their scoring prowess and the elevation wouldn’t be enough to slow down the Warriors in a playoff series.
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