Golden State Warriors: Ranking Best First Round Playoff Matchups
1. San Antonio Spurs
Mandatory Credit: Soobum Im-USA TODAY Sports
The San Antonio Spurs are not the regular season powerhouse they’ve proven to be in the last several years, but until they distinctly prove otherwise, they’re still the Warriors’ worst playoff matchup. It wouldn’t surprise me at all to learn that Gregg Popovich is intentionally throwing games to get a chance at the Warriors in the first round.
The Spurs are the model off which the Warriors were built. When Lacob and Myers took over the team, they envisioned the Warriors being a more exciting version of their San Antonio counterparts. As a disciple of Popovich, Kerr has implemented an offense similar to the Spurs’ one that prioritizes ball movement, finds open three-point shooters, and involves off-ball cutting.
As the “new-era” version of the Spurs, the Warriors will face a steep test against the battle-tested San Antonio squad who always seem to know exactly how to exploit the tiniest of weaknesses in the Warriors. Popovich proved to be a true tactician when he bested the upstart Warriors in the 2013 Playoffs. If the Dubs can find a way to finally defeat their longtime nemesis, they will finally prove they are the team to beat in the NBA for the foreseeable future.