Remember about a month-and-a-half ago when everyone was panicking over the Golden State Warriors? At that time, the Warriors were in the middle of a 16-13 stretch and were looking decidedly human. People were wondering if the reportedly tenuous relationship between Kevin Durant and Draymond Green had poisoned the locker room with some even going as far to say that the Warriors were “done” winning titles.
Andre Iguodala and Shaun Livingston were also showing their age, and, of course, Durant's impending free agency loomed. Plus, no one really knew what type of impact DeMarcus Cousins would have when he returned.
The Warriors probably found all of that talk very entertaining.
Since then, Golden State has gone 15-1 to re-assert itself not only at the top of the Western Conference standings, but at the top of the NBA, period. Cousins is back and looks perfectly fine, as the Warriors have gone 9-1 since his return on Jan. 18.
So, yeah. It seems like a lot of fans and media pundits jumped the gun by writing the Dubs' obituary (what were you thinking?).
The Milwaukee Bucks may have the best record in the league and the upstart Denver Nuggets may look really, really good, but let's not kid ourselves: the Warriors are still clearly the best team in the NBA and are the obvious title favorites, yet again.
Here are three bold predictions the rest of the way for Golden State:
3. The Warriors Will Finish Second in the West Standings and Everyone Will Panic Again
“Well, that doesn't sound like it lines up with everything else he just wrote,” is probably what you're thinking.
But let's be real: does seeding really matter to the Warriors?
We are now in the middle of February, and the playoffs are getting closer and closer. That means that Golden State is likely going to get more and more bored with the regular season over these next two months.
As a result, the Warriors will probably lose some games that they should win, Steve Kerr will rest guys periodically and the Warriors will drop behind the Nuggets in the Western Conference standings.
Let's face it: home-court advantage does not mean all that much to the Dubs. After all, they finished second in the West last year and went on to beat the Houston Rockets in a Game 7 on the road.
The Warriors can play at Oracle Arena, the Pepsi Center in Denver or on Neptune and they will still be just fine.
This is a veteran team that has won three titles over the last four years. They have seen it all. They have also learned from their 73-win campaign in 2016, when they went all out during the regular season and burnt out in the finals as a result.
Take last year, for example. Golden State won just (“just”) 58 games, which was probably 10 wins below what it could have won. But the Warriors prioritized health and rest over regular-season wins.
I'm not saying that will definitely happen again, but I would be a bit surprised if the Dubs don't take their foot off the gas a bit over the last two months of the regular season.
2. The Warriors Will Not Go Past Five Games in Any One Western Conference Playoff Series
This season, the Warriors' biggest challenge will likely be the NBA Finals when they have to take on whomever represents the Eastern Conference.
Out West? I really don't see much of a threat to Golden State's throne.
The Oklahoma City Thunder have the best shot given their length and the incredible year that Paul George is having, but that team still does not have enough to best the Warriors in a seven-game series, and while they could make it somewhat competitive, I'm not sure how much of a sweat the Dubs will break in taking them down.
As for the Nuggets? They are young, they are inexperienced and they are very questionable defensively. The battle-tested Warriors will eat them for breakfast in a playoff series, and it would not shock me to see Golden State sweep Denver in a potential meeting.
The Rockets rely far too heavily on James Harden iso ball. They might be able to get a game at home where Harden goes for 50 or something, but otherwise, the Warriors should beat them easily.
There really isn't much of a challenge for Golden State in the Western Conference. I would be shocked if any West club took the Dubs to seven games, and I don't even think any of them will take them past five.
1. The Warriors Will Win Another Title
I'm not sure how “bold” this is, as the Warriors are the obvious favorites to win their fourth championship in five seasons, but given everything Golden State has gone through this season, it would probably be the team's sweetest title yet.
With Durant and Green going at each other's throats earlier in the season and all of the controversy surrounding Durant's upcoming free agency decision where everyone thinks he is leaving Oakland, it would speak to the resolve of this Warriors team that it can still win a title in spite of all of the distractions.
It seems like a given that Durant will walk over the summer, whether that's to the New York Knicks or the Los Angeles Clippers or wherever, so you would imagine that the locker room would be a bit awkward, but it doesn't seem to affect the Dubs.
The Warriors—including KD—are clearly focused on winning another title and adding to their incredible legacy, and that is exactly what they will do. Barring injuries or something strange happening, I find it hard to believe that another team will stop Golden State in its quest for possibly its last championship with its current core.
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