6. Houston Rockets
The Rockets took the Warriors to seven games in last years playoffs and were just a Chris Paul injury away from knocking them off. Even without Paul in game seven, Houston still could have won if they didn’t have the single worst shooting performance in NBA history.
Now, they’re not the same team this year. Losing Trevor Ariza and Luc Richard Mbah a Moute has been tough but they still have the beard, James Harden who has somehow managed to improve upon his MVP campaign a year ago.
Couple that with a healthy Chris Paul and this team can be dangerous come playoff time. However, in order to challenge Golden State, not only will they need their two stars playing at the top of their games, but they’ll also need to regain some of that tough, hard-nosed defensive identity that proved so successful against the Dubs a year ago. The return of Clint Capela should help with that.