Golden State Warriors Ranked 5th In ESPN’s Future Rankings

Mar 02, 2013; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Golden State Warriors forward Harrison Barnes (40) celebrates with guard Stephen Curry (30) during the first quarter against the Philadelphia 76ers at the Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Howard Smith-USA TODAY Sports

"The Warriors were the highest risers of any team in the FPR, moving up 14 spots from 19th to fifth. That’s what happens when you play the most exciting brand of basketball in the NBA and make the second round one year after finishing 20 games under .500.– ESPN Future Power Rankings"

Well, I should hope that the Golden State Warriors made a huge jump. After one of the best seasons in franchise history, the Warriors have moved up to No. 5 on ESPN’s future power rankings.

It may not mean much, but for this Warrior team that has always been the underdog and the dark horse, it means the world. ESPN is finally giving the Warriors the recognition that they deserve.

So what exactly does this mean? It’s not a guarantee that the Warriors are going to be that high up in a few years down the road, but they will surely be amongst the talks for a championship. With a young core of Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, and Harrison Barnes, the Warriors are solid, and are looking to be one of the best teams in the NBA. Anybody who denies that has a blinding bias, or is a Lakers fan.

The Clippers were ranked eighth, which means that the Warriors could possibly have more potential than them. This is a weird thought considering that the Warriors were not even talked about before the 2012 NBA season.

The Warriors were one of the most outstanding teams in the 2013 NBA playoffs, and they upset the Denver Nuggets in the first round. Unfortunately for the Los Angeles Clippers, they were taken down by their rival Memphis Grizzlies, who went on to lose in the Conference Finals to the Spurs. For the Warriors to be one of two teams to hand the Spurs a loss in the playoffs means so much, especially because nobody even predicted the Warriors to make it past the first round.

The Warriors have so much young and budding talent that they were able to make it past the first round and pull off an upset without their star player, David Lee, who was the league leader in double-doubles in the regular season.

The Warriors are clearly a team with a lot of potential, and it would have been a shame if they weren’t ranked in the top 10 for these future power rankings by ESPN. What many fail to realize is that the Warriors have great upset potential, and that’s what makes them one of the most exciting young teams in the NBA.