The Golden State Warriors are preparing to face the Houston Rockets for their first game of the NBA season. The Warriors will get their rings from their NBA Finals win last year on Tuesday night, which is a momentous occasion for all involved. This might sound like a broken record, but the Warriors are favored to win the Finals again. They are projected to go 63-19 this season, which is the best record projection of any team. Many teams in the NBA have made offseason moves in order to better prepare themselves for the Warriors, but who has a legit shot to take them down?
Boston Celtics
The Celtics have the roster that could pose a threat to the Warriors. You have the player who gives the Warriors headaches everytime he plays them in Kyrie Irving, who was acquired in the infamous offseason trade. The Celtics also signed small forward Gordon Hayward who is a three-point threat and can also score in the mid-range. The Celtics still have Al Horford who is a big man who can stretch the court and do damage in the post. The Warriors have shown that they can't guard Kyrie Irving, and if Zaza Pachulia is starting at center, Al Horford is going to have a field day. Let's not forget their bench, as they have Jaylen Brown, rookie Jayson Tatum and others who can score when the stars are out.
The Celtics can be a big threat to Golden State, but they have to make it out of the East first.
Oklahoma City Thunder
The OKC Thunder could prevent the Warriors from getting to the NBA Finals, as they are the biggest in-conference threat. The Thunder have an insane amount of all-star power on their roster. To begin, they have the triple-double machine and last year's MVP, Russell Westbrook.
Westbrook's ability to blow by defenders and utilize the space in the midrange can pose a problem for Curry, who would be the main one guarding him. There is also Paul George who is one of the best two-way players in the league. He can do a good job guarding Durant, and also force Durant to play defense. Lastly, they recently acquired Carmelo Anthony.
Anthony can be used in catch and shoot situations, and also can be a source of scoring when the other stars are on the bench. The Thunder's star-powered roster is something the Warriors should be concerned about.
Cleveland Cavaliers
Of course, the Cavs pose the biggest threat to the Warriors for the 2017-18 season. The biggest reason they are the biggest threat is that they have the best player in the world in LeBron James. James looks even more hungry to get a fourth championship now that Kyrie Irving forced his way out of Cleveland. James now has one of the best rosters around him with Dwyane Wade, Kevin Love, Derrick Rose, and Jae Crowder in the starting lineup. He also has a better bench, and Isaiah Thomas will be back sometime in January to give the Cavs even more firepower.
The Cavs are now deep at the bench, where the Warriors had the advantage for the past few seasons. This is matchup everyone wants to see and they should be able to see this matchup for this year's Finals.
The Warriors should feel the heat this season as they have a huge target on their backs on account of their recent success. Many teams have built their roster solely aimed at beating the Warriors, but will they be successful? Will we finally see the Warriors fall to a better team ? Time will tell, as this NBA season is set to be a great one.
