NBA: 10 way-too-early predictions for the 2019-20 season

The Warriors will miss the playoffs

After five-straight trips to the NBA Finals, the Warriors will have to overcome overwhelming odds – and circumstances – to make a sixth-straight Finals appearance. Those circumstances being, losing Kevin Durant, DeMarcus Cousins, and Andre Iguodala to free agency and then Klay Thompson (for at least the first half of the season) to a torn ACL.

On top of that, the likes of the Lakers, Clippers, Jazz, and Rockets (depending on who you ask) all improved this summer. Looking at the standings, you can make the case for roughly six teams – Lakers, Clippers, Nuggets, Trail Blazers, Rockets, and Jazz – that are better than the Warriors (without Thompson in the lineup).

Couple that with the fact that there could be some championship fatigue on the remaining core pieces on the roster and it’s not out of the realm of possibility that the short-handed Warriors could miss the playoffs for the first time in eight years.

It may sound insane with the way the Warriors have defied the odds time and time again, but take note and poke fun of me later if this prediction falls through. The Western Conference has improved mightily over the summer, and Golden State was gutted through free agency and didn’t have the money to fill the voids that were left.

The Warriors will not make the playoffs in the Western Conference this year.