When Golden State signed Kevin Durant away from Oklahoma City, there were many people ready to write off this season as an easy waltz to a championship for the Warriors. But even though the season is early, it's clear that they are vulnerable to other teams and game plans. This team isn't the unstoppable beast it was expected to be. Though it still has that potential, it has a long way to go on the road to the Finals. There are a few factors that make this team mortal and they can be manipulated to beat them.
1) Rim Protection
The biggest personnel flaw in Oakland is the lack of rim-protectors. Losing Andrew Bogut was worth it for Kevin Durant, but his loss definitely hurts. Javale McGee has played about as well as expected, but what other big man on the roster do you want protecting the rim? Draymond is better as a versatile do-it-all defender. Anderson Varejao? David West? None of these guys register as a defensive plus and none of them can stop opponents rolling to the rim. This problem would really be accented against a team like the Clippers who have two dominant big men (Griffin and Jordan). Nobody could stop those two inside and that's the biggest threat to their title hopes.
2) Take Your Shot
When you're the best, you have a target on your back. This year's Warriors would have had that target without any major changes to their roster. But a historically dominant team just added an MVP in his prime who is a top 3 scorer in this league. That's pressure. And I promise the underdog mentality that gives other teams can lead to some teams striking like a stone against these modern day Goliaths. Did anybody else watch the Lakers play Golden State? To summarize, Randle feasted inside, D'Angelo abused Klay Thompson, and they wanted the win more. Yes, Steph couldn't hit water if he had fallen out of a boat. But it takes more than cold outside shooting to lose a game. This year's Lakers team actually has a ceiling above 20 wins. And they used the chip on their shoulder as extra force in a knockout blow against a more talented team.
3) Complacency
They say this year there are 3 teams with a chance at a title: San Antonio, Cleveland, and Golden State. But there are definitely some dark-horses out there. The previously mentioned Clippers, the Raptors (if they learn to play postseason basketball like regular season basketball), and I'd even mention the Celtics (if they add one more piece.) It's more than a 3 team race and the Warriors aren't promised anything. But their coming off the winningest season in history. They better quit hitting the snooze button and wake up. The Spurs flipped them out of bed and screamed at the top of their lungs, but they still wouldn't wake up. That needs to change if they want a trophy this season.
We've seen how dominant this team can be. When Durant was motivated against OKC, they were flat out dominant. An unstoppable force and an immovable object. But that game doesn't matter. What matters is whether they build off that win, or just continue to be legendarily mediocre. It's time to put up or shut up. Time to see what magic the new 3 man Splash Brothers can make. Get some popcorn, this season is going to be interesting.
