Golden State Warriors Mailbag: Toughest Potential Matchup, Game 3, Conley
Feb 26, 2015; Cleveland, OH, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James (23) drives between Golden State Warriors guard Klay Thompson (left) and guard Stephen Curry (30) in the third quarter at Quicken Loans Arena. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-USA TODAY Sports
@MaggiePilloton what team is the biggest threat to winning a title?
— Brian Blake (@BrianOBlake) May 6, 2015
The San Antonio Spurs were the Warriors’ biggest threat to winning a title, but now that they’ve been eliminated from the playoffs, things have changed.
Besides the Spurs, the Cleveland Cavaliers also posed a significant threat to the Warriors’ title aspirations, because of the Cavs’ trio of LeBron James, Kyrie Irving, and Kevin Love. Also, J.R Smith and Iman Shumpert make them more lethal.
However, now that Love has been ruled out of the playoffs, the Cavs are less threatening. They still could present a serious problem in the Finals though, since James becomes even harder to guard in the playoffs, given his experience and extreme focus and tough mentality in the postseason. However, the Warriors could still win that series.
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Another candidate could be the Chicago Bulls, since they’re a well-rounded, experienced, and overall tough team. Their defense isn’t quite as dominant as in the past, but they have some quality offensive weapons with Derrick Rose, Jimmy Butler, and Pau Gasol. They don’t pose quite as much of a threat as the Cavs do though.
In reality, all the remaining playoff teams boast incredible talent. That’s why they’re still in the hunt for an NBA title. Given how each current series plays out and who has the momentum heading into a series, anything can happen, and no matchup should be considered easily winnable for the Warriors.
However, the Warriors, on paper, have the edge over every playoff team remaining. That doesn’t mean that they’re going to easily win an NBA title, because a lot can happen until then. Fans can’t assume that the Warriors are going to easily win a championship this year. They can have hope and belief in this team’s chances at winning a title, but fans can’t get too ahead of themselves.
Next: Warriors' Advantages in Game 3