The Golden State Warriors enter the 2022-23 NBA season atop most power rankings. As such, they are the heavy favorites to win the 2023 NBA title and repeat as NBA champions. Of course, games and titles aren't won on social media or on paper. The Dubs have to get the job done on the floor. Having said that, there are a few teams out there aching to snatch the crown from the Warriors. Here we'll look at three hungry NBA contenders who have a shot of dethroning the Dubs as 2023 champions.

After a spectacular run through the playoffs last season, the Warriors will aim to repeat as NBA champions in 2022-23. Before they can make a run at the NBA Finals in 2023, though, they must first finish the regular season strong. Last season, the Warriors finished third in the Western Conference with a regular-season record of 53-29. This season, they'll want to improve on that and secure one of the top two seeds in the West.

That will be easier said than done, of course, given the strength of many teams in their conference. And if the Warriors manage to make it back to the NBA Finals, there is more than a handful of East teams who can potentially upend their back-to-back title hopes.

Looking ahead to their title defense, here are the three top contenders who can dethrone the Warriors as 2023 NBA champions.

Los Angeles Clippers

The Clippers are going to be the most dangerous team in the West outside of the Warriors. Keep in mind that the Clippers have no less than eight players who shot the league average (35.4 percent) or better in terms of three-point marksmanship last season. Star player Kawhi Leonard isn't even on that list, and he has shot 38.1 percent from beyond the arc over the last three seasons. Not surprisingly, LA also didn't waste any time showcasing their sharpshooting prowess. To wit, they made 39.9 percent of their three-point tries in the preseason.

The Clippers did lose two of their three games against NBA opponents, enabling the Minnesota Timberwolves and Denver Nuggets to score more than 123 points per 100 possessions whenever Ivica Zubac was on the floor. We cannot look too much into preseason games, though. Remember that this team was a top-10 defensive unit last season. Take note as well that Leonard is still one of the finest defenders in the previous 20 years. He should help the Clippers continue to be an elite defensive squad this season.

If this Los Angeles team can stay healthy, continue to shoot well, and keep defending at a high level, they should be a prime contender for the NBA championship.

Boston Celtics

Much like the Warriors, the Celtics have dealt with internal turmoil of their own. That's due to the rather objectionable proclivities of erstwhile head coach Ime Udoka. Despite that, the Celtics looked pretty good in the preseason as they attempt to defend their Eastern Conference crown from a year ago.

In fact, in their first preseason game, they won by 41 points against the Charlotte Hornets. Of course, they also got smacked by the Toronto Raptors in their last preseason contest. Toronto scored 137 points on Boston in an overtime win. The Celtics won their first game of the season, beating the Philadelphia 76ers, 126-117, in their home opener.

Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown dominated in that win. They scored 35 points apiece and combined for six triples. Tatum also added 12 rebounds and 4 assists. Those two guys, along with Marcus Smart, Malcolm Brogdon, and Al Horford, will be big thorns for any opponent. That includes the Warriors, to whom the Celtics lost in the 2022 NBA Finals. Look for Boston to play with a chip on its shoulder if they have a Finals rematch this season.

Milwaukee Bucks

Many feel that the Milwaukee Bucks would have repeated as champions had they not lost Khris Middleton to injury in the 2022 NBA Playoffs. That's disputable, of course, but the reality is that a complete Bucks squad is very tough to beat.

There might be some alarm bells, though. Keep in mind that the Bucks were one of four teams without a victory (the others being the Hornets, Detroit Pistons, and Portland Trail Blazers) in the entire preseason. Star player Giannis Antetokounmpo also posted the second-worst effective field goal percentage of 32.4% among 116 players with at least 35 field goal attempts in that span.

On the flip side, the regular season is different, and Giannis should still be among the MVP favorites. And honestly, if there's one Eastern Conference team that shouldn't be concerned with preseason statistics, it's the Bucks. Milwaukee's anticipated main rotation didn't play much in the preseason anyway. Recall as well that in the 2020 preseason, they were similarly winless. Seven months later, the Bucks won the title.

We're not saying that's going to happen again, but we do believe the Bucks are the biggest threat to a Warriors title repeat. Nobody on the planet can completely stop Giannis, and a healthy Bucks team is just so well-balanced across all positions. We want to see a Bucks-Warriors Finals, and if we do, the Dubs might be in trouble.