Who are the biggest threats to the Golden State Warriors this season?
The 2018-19 NBA season is about to get underway and it seems we all know what is about to happen. Looks like everyone is already crowning the Golden State Warriors 2018-19 NBA champs and uttering phrases like “ the NBA is ruined”, “Let’s skip this season and begin the next one”, and many more.
With the addition of DeMarcus Cousins to an already stacked roster of Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant, Klay Thompson, Draymond Green, Andre Iguodala, along with young guns like Jordan Bell and Damian Jones, coach Steve Kerr is pretty much set to taste champagne again.
But with all this hype, there are always underdogs and contenders who can knock the reigning champs down, and bring them back on Earth.
Here are few teams in my opinion, who can achieve this seemingly impossible feat:
Honorable mentions: Philadelphia 76ers, Toronto Raptors, Denver Nuggets
The Philadelphia 76ers are a powerhouse filled with young talent like Embid, Simmons, but still, a lack of experience and consistency may cut their run sort, as seen in their last playoff run. If the boys have learned from their past mistake, this team can make an impact.
The Toronto Raptors, with Kawhi, are a force to be reckoned with, but we are still uncertain of how well is Leonard going to perform after a season’s absence. The team lost their star player DeRozan and their coach, so team chemistry might be an issue.
Finally, the Denver Nuggets are another team that is being slept upon. They have a strong roster with both veterans and rookies to look forward to. If Isaiah Thomas returns to his peak form and Jokic dishes out those crazy no look passes, they surely going to be an entertaining team to watch.
All these teams in the end are in the Eastern Conference, so their threat level was not high enough to put them any higher in the list.
#5. Utah Jazz
The Jazz are known to be a defensive juggernaut, with Rudy Gobert protecting the paint, Crowder, Rubio, Exum, Ingles doing their part, forming a cohesive unit, getting the job done as a team.
Plus, they have the added benefit of having the most magnetizing rookie in the name of Donovan Mitchell, who can score in a hurry.
Playing a physical game with the Warriors tends to slow them down, something which can be exploited. Overall the Jazz are a good match up for the Warriors, especially in the early rounds of playoffs.