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Despite a season marred by injury, the Golden State Warriors remain one of the two Western Conference favorites. In the Western Conference, the Phoenix Suns are the lone team that Golden State should have to worry about.
Unfortunately for Golden State, the Suns' pick-and-roll is their most effective strategy. The Warriors' interior defense is below-average, which is a major disadvantage. When Draymond Green returns, he'll almost certainly be the man in charge of slowing down Chris Paul and DeAndre Ayton's pick-and-roll, but it'll also be a team effort.
The Golden State Warriors are either the best or second-best team in the Western Conference, despite having a below-average paint defense. Despite the fact that they've been injured for the whole season, they've been able to play the type of basketball that everyone expects from this Warriors team, which is nothing short of amazing.
If James Wiseman can return to the Warriors and play at a high level, as many Warriors fans believe, the team will be nearly unbeatable. Draymond should return soon, and while it's unclear when Wiseman will return, if he does at the level he's expected, Golden State might win the NBA title.
Let's look at three reasons why the Warriors have the best chance to come out of the West.
Winning an NBA title is never easy. As we have seen with the past 20 champions, every team is going to need something significant to go their way. Whether that is an unfortunate injury to someone, or having guys on the roster step up more than they ever have. There is a reason why winning a championship is so hard, and a reason why we have seen crazy upsets in the past. If a team is going to win a title, they’re going to need everyone on their roster to be playing the best basketball they possibly can, and even sometimes that isn’t enough to get the job done.
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Warriors Western Conference
3. Despite several injuries, perhaps the best team in the NBA
There's no doubting that the Golden State Warriors are arguably the best team in the NBA. You can obviously rank teams like the Miami Heat, Milwaukee Bucks, and Phoenix Suns ahead of them, but there's virtually no question about who the best four teams are. If all goes according to plan, Golden State should be able to reach the Western Conference finals, where they'll face the Suns in a difficult matchup.
Golden State, on the other hand, has reason to be optimistic heading into the second half of the season since James Wiseman will be back, and Draymond Green will return after a lengthy absence. When you consider that Klay Thompson has only been in 15 games this season and is currently playing some of his best basketball this season, it's easy to see why this Warriors squad will be so frightening in a few months.
2. Draymond Green returns and anchors on both sides of the court
Despite the fact that the Golden State Warriors have won a number of games without Draymond Green, there is no doubting that he is the team's rock. Sure, Klay Thompson and Stephen Curry are two of the best players on the planet, but they don't do what Draymond Green does. For this Warriors team, Draymond's contributions on both the offensive and defensive sides of the ball are unrivaled.
There's no way to replace Draymond for this Warriors team, whether he's setting up ball screens, passing the ball off to other guys for open shots off of screens, or guarding the opposing team's best offensive player. They have to make sure he returns 100 percent healthy, which he appears to be, because if he does, Golden State should be a team that can win an NBA title.
1. Curry's slump isn't going to last
Stephen Curry has clearly not been at his best in the last two months. There's no doubting he hasn't looked like himself in a while, but during the last ten games, he appears to be regaining his form. He isn't quite where he is used to being, but he has almost rediscovered his three-point shooting stroke. Golden State found a way to get the job done and win games even while he wasn't playing his best basketball.
Golden State had to be feeling pretty good right now if his previous 10 games are any indication of him turning things around. He should be able to return to his former self, which can only help this Warriors squad improve even more.
