Contenders and Pretenders: Making sense of the NBA’s crowded field

Golden State Warriors

The days of the Golden State Warriors having a stranglehold on the rest of the league are seemingly over. With Kevin Durant gone and Klay Thompson out for at least part of next season with a torn ACL, Stephen Curry, Draymond Green, and the newly acquired D’Angelo Russell will need to carry a roster which otherwise lacks meaningful NBA experience.

While Thompson’s absence and Durant’s departure will hamper the Warriors significantly, losing reliable veteran contributors like Andre Iguodala, Shaun Livingston, and DeMarcus Cousins is a death knell to Golden State’s title chances.

While the Warriors will still start three All-Stars in Curry, Green, and Russell, their lack of talent on the bench will prevent this team from accomplishing any meaningful postseason success.

Furthermore, Curry and Russell seem to fit awkwardly when sharing the floor together, with both commanding the ball and Russell operating largely out of the pick and roll, a style that Golden State does not usually employ.

If Thompson remains on track to return midseason, Russell may be flipped for draft picks and/or young players. In that case, Golden State may have the depth to make noise in the postseason. Curry certainly has the experience to lead a young roster through the postseason gauntlet.

However, as the roster currently stands, this is simply not a contender. The Toronto Raptors showed the importance of having reliable bench players in this year’s NBA Finals, with Fred VanVleet and Serge Ibaka each making a large impact. The Warriors simply do not have enough contributors behind Curry, Russell, and Green to overcome the Western Conference’s elite teams.

Verdict: Pretender