Ty's 2017-2018 NBA Preview: The Golden State Warriors

We've reached the final day of my 2017-18 NBA countdown. I'll give you my number 1 team today, along with all the reasons why they are the best team in the upcoming season. There will be one more preseason NBA piece, tomorrow, with all my postseason picks, award winners and the champ, spoiler alert, it is my number one team. But for today, I want to focus solely on my number one team. Are you ready for it?

It's the Golden State Warriors.

I know, shocking right? Who would have predicted that me, along with EVERY other NBA writer, would have picked this real life cheat code to be my/their preseason number 1 team. The Warriors literally have it all. In actuality, they are like teams 1-10 for me. That is how far ahead of the rest of the NBA they are. It is kind of a drag in a way because there is no real uncertainty. That is one of the things that makes sports so great, the drama. But the Warriors have erased all of that. I should say, an injury can, and does happen, see the Packers and Aaron Rodgers yesterday, more on that later this week. But, if everyone stays healthy, how does this team not win 68-72 games during the regular season and roll through the playoffs and finals once again? They are completely stacked. They have the three best shooters in the game right now, and the best shooter ever. Steph Curry is amazing. He can hit from anywhere on the floor. Literally ANYWHERE. His range knows no limits. And he is so deadly accurate. I've never seen a guy that can stop on a dime in transition, pull up from 4 or 5 feet beyond three, and I expect it to go in. He is truly the most gifted shooter ever. He is also not terrible on defense anymore. He doesn't have to be hidden that much. He is also just as good, if not better, than Kyrie as far as ball handling goes. Curry is great.

Then there is Kevin Durant. There was no reason for him to go there last year. He was already on a great team, but he wanted a ring, he chased it, and he got it. I don't want to hear bull shit excuses like, he didn't like playing with Russ, or he wanted a change of scenery, or he wanted to go somewhere that moved the ball around. All of that is just excuses for him chasing rings. But you know what, I am over that now. He got what he wanted, but he also earned it last year. He was the best player during the finals for the Warriors last year. He gave them the added shooting that they wanted, not needed. He is also an incredibly long and athletic defender. He is a great finisher at the rim, and he can be unselfish if he wants to. So, people need to quit making excuses for why KD joined the Warriors, and just accept that he is a front runner who also happens to be awesome at basketball.

Then we have Klay Thompson, the kind of forgotten man on this team. Klay is an amazing shooter, who when he gets hot, he cannot be cooled off. He can score 60 any given night. He is an amazing catch and shoot player. He is also a better defender than he is at offense. He played incredible defense on Kyrie the last three years. The common fan may not have noticed, what with Kyrie going for almost 30 every night, but Klay made him work extra hard for those points. The dude is as lock down as they get, with Kawhi being the only better defender in the NBA. Klay is extremely important to this team's success.

Draymond Green has turned himself into an exceptional basketball player. I always disliked him in college, he was a Michigan State player, but I respected the hell out of his game. He was a nuisance, and that is meant as a compliment. I never understood why he lasted until the second round, and I thought the Warriors got a steal when they drafted him. And, as we all see now, they got the steal of a lifetime. Draymond is an amazing Swiss army knife player. He can defend all 5 positions. I didn't think it was possible, but he can. I've watched him do it in a single game. He is so excellent at making the right decision nearly every time on defense. It is a thing of wonder to watch. He has turned himself into a quality offensive player too. He can go inside on smaller guys and take the bigger guys out of the paint. He even has a respectable three point shot now. Like I said before, I may not like him, but I respect his game, and how much better he has gotten every year.

Most will say that is "all the Warriors have", which is more than enough to beat every team in the NBA. I'd take those 4 to play any team's best 5 and still win. But, they have good to great players that fit into their positions with the team perfectly. Zaza Pachulia may be a big uncoordinated oaf, but he brings toughness and rebounding to this team, a skill they need. I will go to my grave thinking his closeout on Kawhi was dirty, but he does all the dirty work this team needs. Same thing goes for David West, except he has a bit of an offensive game. West is big, tough and can stretch defenders out to the free throw line. Javal McGee has turned himself an awesome energy guy. He is so much of a better fit in that role than a guy like Anderson Varejo was 2 years ago. McGee has always been extremely talented, and now, he is in a perfect situation for his skills. Patrick McCaw got some real good playoff experience last year, and I only see him getting better from here on out. He is going to be a great second unit guy for the Warriors who will only further their lead on the rest of the NBA. Shaun Livingston is such a good second unit point guard. He is so much taller and better than the guys he faces too. He has carved out a very nice career for someone that people thought was done after his brutal injury. He has accepted his NBA role to perfection. Same thing can be said for Andre Iguodala. He was once a guy that was "the guy" on a very good 76ers team. Then he came to Golden State, was relegated to being a sixth man, accepted that, and became an even better NBA player. He is the third best defender on a team filled with great defenders. He can also score from everywhere on the floor. He could have taken more money from a ton of different teams this offseason, but he knows where to go to get his rings. I am so impressed by a player like Iguodala. He is great. I am a big, big fan of the Warriors signing Nick Young. He may be brash, arrogant and cocky, but the dude can score. He will go to this team, think he is the best shooter out there, and it will work because he will be a second unit/instant offense player in Golden State. The coaching staff will use him to perfection because they know how to put players on their roster in the best positions to show their talents. The Warriors also absolutely fleeced the Bulls by trading them cash for Jordan Bell. Jordan Bell is the PERFECT player for this team. He is a young, energetic, rebounding and shot blocking rookie that doesn't really care about scoring. He is the younger version of Draymond Green.

Look, it is no secret that the Warriors are easily the best team in the NBA. They should, and will, win the title again. And probably every year that this core stays together. They are too good. As I said before, it is a drag because it takes out the suspense. But, more power to them for stacking the deck. If you have the money, go out and get the best players. Why wouldn't you want to win every year? It is fun to be on top. But, while I appreciate their excellence, I'm still a bit bummed. They will continue to win and win again. These other teams, the Rockets, Thunder, Cavs, Celtics, any team that has tried to go out and sign or trade for big stars, it doesn't matter. None of the other 29 teams in the NBA are one tenth as good as the Warriors.

There you have it, my 2017-18 NBA countdown. Come back tomorrow for all my predictions.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing, the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast, and the greatest basketball writer on the internet. 

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