4) Portland Trail Blazers
The back-court combination of Damian Lillard and C.J. McCollum was a nuisance to the Warriors through the whole season. The Blazers gave the Warriors their worst loss of last season, beating them by 32. Ultimately, the Warriors got the last laugh knocking them out of the playoffs in the second round.
In the other regular season matchups, it wasn’t as pretty for the Blazers, but the talent to compete is still there. Lillard is poised to have an MVP-type of season. The depth of the team allows them to have a few different lineups if they please, which is a plus against the Warriors. Though the depth is there, they need players to continue to improve after a successful 2015-16.
There could be struggles early if Stotts inserts Evan Turner into the starting lineup. Three ball dominant players in the same five is not ideal. I expect him to be in the second unit to provide a scoring punch if needed.
Mason Plumlee’s athleticism presents some intrigue if he can stay with Draymond along the perimeter to combat the mega-death lineup. Al-Farouq Aminu will be a mainstay at the power forward position throughout these two team’s matchups against one another.
Depth and certain matchups are crucial elements of this game. However, if Lillard and McCollum struggle to score the Blazers have little shot at upsetting the Warriors in a seven game series. The defense of the two guards can be questionable, but hot shooting can help people overlook that.