Top 3 championship contenders in the Western Conference

Reigning Champions Golden State WarriorsThe season starts tomorrow but we all already have our predictions towards who could defeat the Warriors this time to win the championship. The Warriors played extremely well last season getting the best win:loss ratio but we cannot let go of the fact that they didn’t have to face the Spurs or the Clippers in the playoffs. Not saying that the Warriors couldn’t have defeated either of those teams, but it would have at least worn them out a little heading to the championships like it did the Rockets and Clippers.Curry and Klay are as healthy as ever, Kerr should be back soon and the team is still more or less the same, strong, Finals MVP laden team. However history is against them since only a handful of teams have ever won back-to-back championships and plus they’re in the Western Conference, where things are extremely competitive. There are a lot of championship caliber teams who could defeat the Warriors to get a ring and here’s our top three contenders from the Western Conference who could be champions this season.

#3 San Antonio Spurs

Tony Parker, Danny Green, Kawhi Leonard, Lamarcus Aldridge and Tim Duncan. Barring any major injuries, that's San Antonio's starting lineup this season. Meanwhile, David West is backing up Aldridge, Manu Ginobili is behind Green, Boris Diaw will shadow Duncan, and Patty Mills is the second-string point guard.

The only unproven member of the Spurs' bench? Las Vegas Summer League MVP, Kyle Anderson. The Spurs are stacked, smart and deep yet again.

No matter how old Tim Duncan and Manu Ginobili get or how cynical Coach Greg Popovich remains, the Spurs remain a force. The arrival of LaMarcus Aldridge and David West should help extend Duncan’s viability. Kawhi Leonard is quietly evolving into a star on both ends of the floor making the Spurs championship favorites this season.