Which Team In The West Is The Biggest Threat To The Warriors?

Marcio Jose Sanchez/Associated Press

Several teams are in new positions, with the 2022-23 NBA regular season set to kick off. Some teams have improved, while some have slightly worsened. Several Western Conference stars also return to the court this season, opening room for debate on who the biggest threat in the West is to the Golden State Warriors from repeating as NBA champions.

Looking at this past season, several teams may be in a better position to contend than last year. Since going down with an injury in 2021, the unavailability of point guard Jamal Murray visibly limited the ceiling for reigning back-to-back KIA NBA MVP Nikola Jokić and the Denver Nuggets. Murray continuously made headlines the last time he played in the postseason in the NBA Bubble in 2020.

The Memphis Grizzlies can easily be categorized as one of the top contenders in the West, and they took Golden State to six games this past postseason despite losing superstar point guard Ja Morant midway. If Memphis is at full strength, Golden State could be getting a run for its money.

The Dallas Mavericks have slightly improved the aid for Luka Doncic by acquiring center Christian Wood from the Houston Rockets. While the move is not a complete game-changer for Dallas’ contender status, any weight taken off the back of their superstar helps as of now. Doncic himself is coming off of a historic playoff run, even leading the Mavs on the path to defeating the league’s top-seeded Phoenix Suns, including a shocking road blowout in Game Seven.

Luka Doncic during the Mavericks’ Game 7 road blowout of the Phoenix Suns in 2022 (Sports Illustrated).

While the Phoenix Suns are still no team to be taken lightly, last year’s second-round shocker in game seven proved that they weren’t even enough to beat a team lesser than Golden State when it mattered most.

While Chris Paul is one of the best point guards in NBA history, he has the most blown 2-0 playoff leads, with five, which is unacceptable for a player with CP3’s status. Paul adds another year together with three-time NBA All-Star Devin Booker, but Phoenix’s window may not be open for much longer past this season as the Point God isn’t getting any younger.

Looking at some of the other teams briefly, the Minnesota Timberwolves and New Orleans Pelicans both impressed last season by making the playoffs, but both still have work to do to reach a tier closer to Golden State. LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers need Antony Davis to remain healthy, along with several other things going right to even be in playoff contention. The Portland Trail Blazers do not have any stars outside Damian Lillard.

Golden State’s biggest threat in the Western Conference as of right now seems pretty clear: the Los Angeles Clippers. A team with two of the league’s longtime superstars are both returning and other championship-aspiring qualities.

LA Clippers superstars Paul George (left) and Kawhi Leonard (right) during the 2020-21 season (FanSided).

Starting with LA’s two superstars: Kawhi Leonard and Paul George. In the second round of the 2021 NBA Playoffs, Leonard went down with an ACL injury, keeping him sidelined from in-game action ever since. When healthy, Leonard is recognized as one of the top players in the NBA, already having two championships and Finals MVPs to his name.

Leonard looked like he was on pace for another dominant postseason run prior to going down, which is where George stepped in. Losing an all-world top player like Leonard is a huge blow for any team to recover from, but George stepped up and had arguably the best postseason run of his career - showing he can still be big-time in the playoffs.

George’s sudden COVID absence at the end of last year would severely hurt the LA Clippers as they lost a play-in tournament matchup, shutting down hopes of another postseason run. Leonard returning after a season and George staying in the lineup spells problems for opponents.

In the 2021 Playoffs, Paul George recorded over 500 points, over 180 rebounds, and over 100 assists - joining Larry Bird, Charles Barkley, Tim Duncan, LeBron James, and Giannis Antetekounmpo as the only players in NBA postseason history to do so. (NBAE/Getty Images)

The Clippers don’t stop after Leonard and George. Ty Lue is arguably the best coach in basketball and has enabled several Clippers players to shine in big moments, including Terance Mann’s 39-point series-clinching game six performance against the top-seeded Utah Jazz in Round Two of the 2021 playoffs. A large reason why Lue has been able to put his team in a position to be successful is the talent they have, even outside of Leonard and George.

Going into the 2022-23 season, LA’s depth includes veteran point guard John Wall, who is past his prime but can still provide quality play at the position, as well as other solid names like Reggie Jackson, Norman Powell, and Robert Covington. On offense and defense, Leonard and PG13 will usually always have aid available - which is key for teams to compete for the top prize. A roster like this on the floor together creates problems on both ends, which will be seen once the group is back at full strength soon.

So, not only are the Clippers the clear top threat in the West to Golden State, but their elite squad is capable of capturing the franchise’s first championship this season.