After the signing of Kevin Durant, the Warriors look unstoppable. The team was already looking great. With the addition of Kevin Durant, the expectations for Golden State are sky high.
Therefore, there aren’t many reasons for the Warriors to not win the NBA championship this upcoming season.
The odds are in their favor. The eye test is passed. The match-up problems are endless, and, not to mention, the “Splash Brothers” are still going to be pulling up from half-court. The team looks perfect, inside and out.
However, that doesn’t mean the Warriors are guaranteed champions yet. Without a glimpse of the team’s scheme, it’s time to address the weaknesses of the team as the upcoming NBA season approaches rather than amplify the great strengths of the team.
Firstly, the ego of Kevin Durant could completely ruin the scheme of the Warriors. Golden State’s coach, Steve Kerr, is known for his high basketball intelligence. His scheme to limit LeBron James with Andre Iguodala in the 2015 NBA Finals was an incredible strategic move. Kevin Durant has always played on a team in Oklahoma City where there was no set scheme. Perhaps he was the problem, rather than Westbrook, and now the Oklahoma City Thunder will elevate under Russell Westbrook. Maybe Westbrook's vengeance will prevail and defeat the Warriors. Nevertheless, Durant has always demanded to be a superstar, and thus, his will to try and take over a game versus playing with the Golden State Warriors’ system could ruin the foundation of the Golden State Warriors.
Secondly, the durability of Stephen Curry is questionable. With Stephen Curry having an injury that bothered him throughout the whole playoffs, his durability throughout this upcoming NBA season will be in question. He may possibly get injured again, and if such event occurs, then the whole strategy of the Golden State Warriors may be ruined, as the offensive scheme of the Warriors is through Stephen Curry’s amazing shooting, whether fans believe it or not. In no way do I believe that Stephen Curry will be injured this upcoming season, nor do I even think about such a possibility. However, it is a possibility that could hurt the Warriors’ offensive scheme, only if such an unfortunate event occurs.
Finally, the main weakness of the Golden State Warriors is the fact that their roster consists of many guards and a few forwards. However, with the emphasis on shooting the ball, there is not an incredibly physical presence on their team, outside of Draymond Green. However, Draymond Green stands at about six feet, six inches tall, and thus a solid, physical and big player like Green can take advantage of this. Moreover, athletic teams will be able to drive to the basket more if these teams have a solid center or power forward that can take advantage of a match up against Draymond Green. Athletic teams, like the Minnesota Timberwolves, the Milwaukee Bucks and maybe even the Boston Celtics will wear down the Warriors, and they will be much more equipped to stop the effectiveness of Golden State’s shooting.
Now, these are quite extreme cases. In fact, I believe the Golden State Warriors will easily win the NBA championship this upcoming season. However, I would not be incredibly shocked if the Warriors were to fail in their journey to a championship for this upcoming season due to one or more of the reasons above.
