Golden State Warriors
Even though the Golden State Warriors did seem to struggle over the last couple of weeks of the season, which dropped them into the Play-In Tournament, it's hard to overlook the potential that this roster has. When the new-look Warriors have played at their peak this season, they've shown the ability to play with any team in the league. Since making the acquisition of Jimmy Butler, the Warriors have looked like the second-best team in the Western Conference.
Whether they'll be healthy enough to make a deep playoff run remains to be seen. But if there's one underdog who has the experience, coaching, and talent to make some noise, it's the Warriors. If the Warriors are able to beat the Memphis Grizzlies in the Play-In Tournament matchup, they'll take on the upstart Houston Rockets. As one of the most inexperienced favorites in the West, this could be considered a favorable matchup for Golden State.
It's anyone's guess as to how the Rockets are going to look in the postseason. But the new-look Warriors could be a dangerously bad matchup for them. The Rockets are truly talented, but if there's a year where they could get tripped up early, this may be that time. And the Warriors do feel like a team that could have exactly what it takes to pull off the first-round upset. I still believe Houston would be slightly favored in this series, but this is going to be closer to one of those coin-flip types of series.