Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports
The Golden State Warriors have just been crowned the 2015 NBA champions, but it’s never too early to look into next season. Everybody knows the hardest thing to do in sports is to repeat as champion, but less than a week after hoisting the Larry O’Brien trophy, Warriors’ star Draymond Green has already guaranteed fans in the Bay Area that next season will end in another victory parade around Downtown Oakland.
The Warriors’ path to the finals this season wasn’t as difficult as many predicted, as they somehow managed to avoid top Western Conference teams such as the Los Angeles Clippers and San Antonio Spurs, as well as playing depleted teams throughout the playoffs. For over a decade, the West has been the far superior conference and 2015-16 looks like it will be an absolute bloodbath. Many teams will stand in the way of back-to-back rings for Golden State. The Spurs will get their Big Three for perhaps one last season, and you know they have visions of riding off into the sunset.
The Clippers will also be good again as they will likely sign DeAndre Jordan to a maximum extension this summer, ensuring they have the two most athletic big men in the prime of their careers manning the front court, a superstar point guard in Chris Paul determined to avenge his team’s second-round collapse in this year’s playoffs and a coach/GM in Doc Rivers who will spend all summer looking to bolster his bench.
The Memphis Grizzlies also look to make a deep playoff run as their championship window is quickly closing, even though they will likely re-sign versatile big man Marc Gasol.
The Oklahoma City Thunder will be the biggest threat to the Warriors next season as they will have two healthy superstars in Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant on a mission to capture their first NBA title. Skilled big man Serge Ibaka has added a jump shot to his arsenal, and he will better be able to spread the floor next season for Durant/Westbrook to get to the paint and finish or kick it out to their shooters for open threes. With a deep roster and one of the best GMs in the league in Sam Presti willing to do whatever it takes to win, one would not be called crazy for picking the Thunder as their early Finals favorite.
A Warriors vs. Thunder Western Conference Final would be awesome, and we should all root for that.
The Warriors delivered the Bay the basketball title they’ve been waiting for for 40 years, but next season should be a whole different challenge. They proved that a jump shooting team can win a championship, but in 2016, teams are going to work to make sure they don’t dominate on both ends of the floor like they did this year. Next season is going to be really fun.
