The Golden State Warriors didn’t win the NBA Championship last season, but they enter the 2016-17 season as the team to beat. Already stocked with a league MVP in Steph Curry and a team that registered a record-setting 73 regular season wins, the Warriors somehow convinced superstar Kevin Durant to come join their movement. The Warriors came within one game of winning the NBA Championship last season and they are hungry to conquer what was within their grasp last season. The division should be child’s play to them and so could the whole conference. The only thing stopping them is the integration of Durant and their own level of focus to take it that next step. Here is a look at what to expect in the NBA Pacific Division this season.
Winner: Golden State Warriors
The only question mark with Golden State is how head coach Steve Kerr will manage to give Durant, Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green their share of touches from game to game. The Warriors are clearly the most talented team in the NBA but chemistry could be an issue early on. Eventually, Curry and company will figure things out and when they do, it will be hard for any team in the NBA to stop them. Golden State finished 20 wins better than the Los Angeles Clippers for the best record in the Pacific Division a year ago and we expect another double-digit margin at the top again in 2016-17. This roster could be the best in NBA history.
Biggest Surprise: Phoenix Suns
The silver lining in last season’s disappointment for Phoenix has to be the fact that their talented young players got the opportunity to show what they can do. Led by rookie Devin Booker, the 13th-overall pick from last year’s NBA Draft, the Suns look like they finally have a few foundational pieces. Booker averaged just 10.6 points in 23.3 minutes per game before the All-Star break and then averaged 19.2 points in 35.4 minutes per game after it. We’ve already seen him shine in the preseason, including the game against the Los Angeles Lakers when he dropped 34 on them. Booker is poised to play a bigger role for the Suns from the outset this season and it will be interesting to see how their backcourt performs with Eric Bledsoe, Brandon Knight and veteran Leandro Barbosa in the mix.
Up front, Phoenix will bank on veteran center Tyson Chandler staying healthy but they have added an intriguing blend of talent to support him. Veteran Jared Dudley joins first-round picks Marquese Chriss and Dragan Bender at the forward positions. The Suns might not be ready to earn a playoff spot in the Western Conference just yet but it wouldn’t be a surprise if their young core hung around and helped them remain in contention in the Pacific Division until February or March.
Biggest Disappointment: Sacramento Kings
While Phoenix is definitely headed in the right direction, Sacramento is definitely not thanks to another puzzling offseason. Their general lack of direction is on full display once again, which is why they should finish at the bottom of the Pacific Division.
The Kings let Marco Belinelli and Rajon Rondo leave town only to replace them with lesser players in Matt Barnes and Ty Lawson. It was a surprise they let Rondo go as he led the NBA in assists in Sacramento and was a real bright spot. Center DeMarcus Cousins lobbied the team to bring him back, but how often does this front office listen to their franchise player?
Arron Afflalo might be an intriguing pickup but the reality is that the Kings clearly don’t have enough talent at the guard positions. That problem was that much more magnified when they used a first round pick on another more big men, which led to DeMarcus Cousins openly questioning the direction of the franchise. They have Cousins, Willy Cauley-Stein and Kosta Koufas, and plenty of holes in the back court, yet they continue to draft big men. Go figure.
Sacramento isn’t any better right now than they were at the end of last year’s 33-win season and the result should be another wasted year for Cousins in his prime. Considering everything he has had to deal with, it really shouldn’t be a surprise if the Kings trade the center or see him walk away in free agency the second his contract is up.
