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Despite the fact that the Golden State Warriors have been decimated by injury, they remain one of the two Western Conference favorites. The Phoenix Suns are the only team in the Western Conference that Golden State should be concerned about unless a team like the Memphis Grizzlies can perform the way they are in the regular season during the playoffs.
There are still some unanswered questions regarding Golden State, but they should be answered once Draymond Green returns. He is the team's glue, and whenever he is on the court, the Warriors will find the success they are seeking.
Phoenix will be a challenge for Golden State, but they can be defeated. The biggest issue will be how they respond to the Suns' pick-and-roll with Chris Paul and DeAndre Ayton, but with Draymond Green and James Wiseman back, they should be able to slow them down.
Despite having a below-average paint defense, the Golden State Warriors are either the best or second-best team in the Western Conference. They've been injured for the whole season and have still managed to play the kind of basketball that everyone expects from the Warriors, which is nothing short of incredible. Despite the fact that they haven't looked great recently, they are still finding ways to win games, as championship teams do.
Do the Warriors have what it takes? Let’s take a look at if the Warriors are pretenders or contenders.
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. Matchups are always something that is going to play a major factor, and some teams just know how to get the job done against certain teams when it matters most.
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Are The Warriors Pretenders Or Contenders?
Contenders
2. Not even healthy and dominating the league
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The Golden State Warriors are arguably the best basketball team in the association. Teams like the Miami Heat, Milwaukee Bucks, Philadelphia Sixers (if they can figure it out), Memphis Grizzlies, and Phoenix Suns can obviously be ranked ahead of them, but the best five-six teams are nearly unquestionable. Golden State should be able to reach the Western Conference finals if all goes according to plan, where they should meet the Suns in a difficult matchup.
Golden State, on the other hand, has reason to be optimistic in the second part of the season and in the playoffs since James Wiseman will return and Draymond Green will return after a long absence. When you consider that Klay Thompson has rediscovered his stroke, and if he can continue to demonstrate that he is nearly 100 percent recovered from injury, Western Conference teams should be terrified.
1. Difficult offense to stop when healthy
Any team that can put out a lineup that includes Klay Thompson, Stephen Curry, Andrew Wiggins, and Draymond Green will be difficult to beat. Klay Thompson and Stephen Curry are two of the best 3-point shooters in history, with Stephen Curry being the best, and Klay not far behind.
Andrew Wiggins has proven to be the type of player that everyone expected him to be when he entered the league, as he quickly developed into an All-Star in front of everyone's eyes. He does a fantastic job on the offensive side of the ball because he can stretch the floor and get a bucket whenever the Warriors need it.
On the offensive side of the ball, there isn't much to say about Draymond Green; despite not scoring as much as some fans would want, he is the reason why this Warriors offense is as good as it is. It doesn't matter if he's facilitating and making plays for those three players or if he's setting screens and getting them open. Draymond's contributions on both sides of the ball are unrivaled, and while he is one of the best defenders in the league, there is a case to be made that he is even more vital for this Warriors squad on the offensive end.
Pretenders
1. Rim protection
Without a question, the Golden State Warriors' biggest issue right now is their rim protection. Unfortunately for Golden State, the Western Conference has a plethora of dominant big men with whom they will have to contend in the postseason. They'll face guys like Karl Anthony-Towns, Nikola Jokic, and Anthony Davis, but given how their teams have played so far this season, the Warriors shouldn't have too much to worry about.
The Warriors have a below average interior defense, but will they lose to the Minnesota Timberwolves, Los Angeles Lakers, or Denver Nuggets? Probably not, although, like with any series, no one knows for sure until it happens.
This is Golden State's biggest question, and it's one they'll have to answer before the playoffs.
