1. Golden State Warriors
Last season: 58-24, 2nd
Notable ins: DeMarcus Cousins, Jonas Jerebko
Notable outs: JaVale McGee, Zaza Pachulia
As boring as it is, the Golden State Warriors will be the best team in the West next season. That was the case before they signed DeMarcus Cousins, and it will be the case after whatever other moves they might make.
The shock signing of Cousins isn’t as outrageous as it might appear. If everything Cousins has said is to be taken at face value, the Warriors were the only landing spot that made sense.
Without long-term offers for the money that he thinks he deserves, Cousins had to take a one-year deal to prove his worth after his injury rehab. The Warriors are the only team that can afford to wait until he is healthy, which may be as late as next January.
It’s hard to know how Cousins will play once he does return. An achilles tear is widely regarded as the worst injury a basketball player can suffer, and many have struggled to get close to their best after the gruelling recovery period involved.
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No matter how he plays, though, the Warriors will still be the best. And I honestly don’t think I need to go over why. We’re all sick to death of hearing about them – let’s just wait and see if maybe, just maybe, they can be toppled.