Golden State Warriors Still The Best Team In Western Conference

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After winning the 2015 NBA Finals, the Golden State Warriors have found a way to keep most of their roster intact heading into next season. Although several teams in the Western Conference improved their odds to compete for an NBA title next year, the Warriors still have the upper hand.

This offseason, the only loss Golden State experienced was trading David Lee to the Boston Celtics for salary cap relief. This allowed the Warriors to re-sign Draymond Green, as well as bringing back Marreese Speights and Leandro Barbosa. Golden State also drafted Kevon Looney, a power forward who possesses the potential to be a respectable stretch-four in the coming years.

The San Antonio Spurs and the Los Angeles Clippers made significant moves as well. In the loudest signing of the offseason, the Spurs agreed with LaMarcus Aldridge. Somehow, San Antonio also found a way to re-sign Danny Green and Kawhi Leonard. Green took a massive pay cut to stay with the Spurs, and his shooting and defense were certainly necessary in San Antonio’s success the past few years.

Although the Spurs now have one of the best power forwards in the NBA, San Antonio still has several glaring weaknesses. For one, the team needs to find a replacement for Tiago Splitter, who was traded to the Atlanta Hawks to clear to save money. Additionally, the Spurs lost Marco Belinelli this offseason, and his perimeter shooting off the bench will need to be replaced.

On the other hand, the Clippers attacked their biggest weakness this summer by adding several competent players to strengthen their depth. During this time, Los Angeles traded for Lance Stephenson and signed Paul Pierce and Josh Smith, giving up only Matt Barnes and Spencer Hawes in the process. With these move, Los Angeles will now most likely improve upon their 56-win season last year. However, the Clippers’ biggest question mark still lies on the defensive end, where the team ranked middle of the pack last season.

In the end, most people will fall in love with either the Spurs or the Clippers because the Warriors did not make any notable moves this summer. However, it looks as if Golden State’s recent experience and continuity will reign supreme next season unless the Clippers or Spurs make other moves.

Nicholas Sciria is a writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @Nick_Sciria, “Like” him on Facebook or add him to your network on Google.

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