Golden State Warriors NBA Playoff Odds
Golden State Warriors Analysis
The Golden State Warriors have had an up-and-down season.
They started off hot at 18-2 in their first 20 games with Steph Curry and Draymond Green emerging as early MVP and DPOY favorites, but ultimately injuries derailed their hopes for those awards as the Warriors came back to Earth.
Even despite absences from Green and other key rotational players, the Warriors defense has remained elite as they finished the season second in Defensive Rating (107.9) and third in half-court Defensive Rating (91.2).
Green is back and Curry is expected back for the first round. Klay Thompson also made his much-anticipated return after missing the last two seasons and is looking like his old self recently.
The Warriors might also have stumbled upon a third splash brother with Jordan Poole shooting the lights out recently. The scary thing about the Warriors is how they started 18-2 with Poole shooting poorly over that span and Thompson was still out.
If you add those two to the foundation of Curry and Green and get quality role play out of All-Star Andrew Wiggins, they could have the best closing five of any team in the league. Without both Curry and Green at their best, the Warriors could get eliminated early, but if they are at their best, they might be the team best suited to upset the Suns.
They face a challenging matchup with an undersized Green or their lesser skilled big men defending the potential two-time MVP Nikola Jokic.
