NBA: X-Factors for the top 5 teams entering 2017-18
By Morgan Dunn
Golden State Warriors – Health
It’s very simple for the Warriors; just stay healthy. This team plays incredible basketball, and the addition of Kevin Durant last summer made them nearly unstoppable. We will probably never again see the second-best player in the world join a team coming off two consecutive NBA Finals appearances, so soak it up while you can.
Durant’s injury during the regular season initially looked like it may doom the team’s title run, but Durant returned for the playoffs and showed everyone that he was the best player on the best team. He, Steph Curry, Draymond Green and Klay Thompson form a quartet that is nearly impossible to stop at full health.
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The rest of the league’s best chance at a title is to see one of those four players miss the playoffs, or at least the NBA Finals, due to injury; that, or Draymond losing his mind and being suspended for multiple games. Otherwise, it’s hard to see this Warriors team losing four out of seven games.