NBA Power Rankings: Lakers are champions; Nets look to crash the East

Los Angeles Lakers LeBron James (Photo by Douglas P. DeFelice/Getty Images)
Los Angeles Lakers LeBron James (Photo by Douglas P. DeFelice/Getty Images)
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Golden State Warriors
Golden State Warriors Stephen Curry (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)

8. Golden State Warriors

Many will be quick to doubt the Golden State Warriors heading into the 2020-21 season but, make no mistake, as long as Stephen Curry is healthy this team will be a force to be reckoned with in the Western Conference. The big question is whether or not he’ll be enough – with the addition of Kelly Oubre Jr. and James Wiseman – to be a true contender this season.

Golden State should be good defensively and the true questions will be whether or not they’ll have enough offensive punch (including shooting by players not named Steph) to overcome the loss of Klay Thompson.

The Warriors will also be another team that could be aggressive at the NBA Trade Deadline, especially if the team isn’t performing as expected. If nothing else, the return of Steph will make the Warriors a must-watch this year.