The Golden State Warriors are once again the team to beat heading in to the 2016-17 NBA season. It will certainly be hard to top what they did last regular season after setting an NBA record with 73 wins but the end goal will be that much more important after falling short against the Cleveland Cavaliers in the NBA Finals. They have a bitter taste in their mouth after blowing a 3-1 lead in the NBA Finals and blowing their ultimate goal.
The Warriors added Kevin Durant in the offseason in what was nothing short of a shocking signing. Without a doubt, they now have the most talented starting five in the league, but as we’ve seen before, adding a star doesn’t necessarily lead to direct improvement. Just ask the Houston Rockets who added Ty Lawson last season or the Dallas Mavericks who traded for Rajon Rondo the season before. The chemistry has to be right. At any rate, the Warriors success or failure will be decided by whether they can win a championship or not. Nothing else will matter.
Offseason Changes
It’s pretty incredible that a team that just delivered a record-73 wins the previous year managed to add another top-five player in Durant. Golden State was already loaded with firepower before they added the four-time scoring champion and 2014 MVP. The Warriors didn’t have much salary cap space left over to work with after landing Durant, but benefited from the fact that a number of veteran players wanted to take discounts to have a shot to win a championship with this team. David West and Javale McGee were added for under $3 million combined while Zaza Pachulia could be an underrated addition at $2.9 million for this season.
Strengths
Durant, Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson could very well represent the most talented offensive trio in NBA history. The biggest question mark will be how Golden State manages to share the rock with all three of those stars needing touches. Draymond Green and Pachulia will round out arguably the most talented starting five ever assembled and it will be interesting to see how they come together as a unit. The Golden State Warriors should be able to score points in bunches, but it’s just as important that they have remained a quality defensive team as well with Andre Iguodola among the keys to their success at that end of the floor. West, McGee and Shaun Livingston will provide quality veteran depth to adequately compliment the starting unit.
Weaknesses
The expectations will certainly provide somewhat of a burden but that doesn’t mean the players on this team can’t handle it. Steve Kerr will need to find a way to spread the ball around and the biggest issue will likely be a lack of chemistry early on in the season. However, even if it takes some time for them to reach their max potential the Golden State Warriors will still be a well-oiled machine based solely on talent. Golden State’s depth isn’t an elite but it should be more than good enough to compliment the starting five.
Outlook
Golden State wasted little time adding another superstar to put them over the top following a disappointing finish to last year’s record season. Curry, Thompson, Durant, Green and Pachulia should have no problem leading the Golden State Warriors to the best record in the NBA for the second year in a row. However, it wouldn’t be a surprised if they took their foot off the gas a little bit in the regular season to make sure they’re fresh in the playoffs. Their goal is a championship; not necessarily another regular season wins record.
There has been a lot of talk about complacency hurting this team towards the end of the year but that shouldn’t be a problem after last year’s NBA Finals disappointment. And Durant’s hunger for a championship should fuel this team. Golden State is clearly the most talented team in the league heading in to the 2016-17 season and they will be focused and motivated to care of unfinished business.
Prediction: 1st in Pacific Division; 1st in Western Conference
