The Best Team in Basketball: A Close Race
Can anyone dethrone the Golden State Warriors? The Warriors’ core of Steph Curry, Kevin Durant, and Draymond Green are all back from last season, and they’ve added All-Star center DeMarcus Cousins to the mix. Will this team run away with the league or will another team get in their way? I’m going to take a look at each team and see if we can figure out which is the best team in basketball and what the biggest threats to the Warriors are.
Cleveland Cavaliers
There is a lot of debate as to which team is the best in the NBA. Some believe that Lebron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers are the best team due to their four NBA championships and Lebron's individual success. Others argue that Kawhi Leonard and the San Antonio Spurs are better because of their five NBA championships. Still, others say that Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors deserve this title because they have won three titles since 2015, including back-to-back titles in 2016 and 2017. There is no clear cut answer as to which team would be considered the best. Each has something going for them which makes them a strong contender. The Cavs were one game away from winning another championship this year but fell short against the Golden State Warriors. The Cavs may not have been able to win the championship without Lebron but he cannot do it alone so they need more talent around him if they want to keep winning championships. The Spurs don't have any superstars but their chemistry has led them to an impressive resume with five NBA championships. With Tim Duncan retiring and Tony Parker aging, can we expect Kawhi Leonard or LaMarcus Aldridge or any other player on the Spurs roster will continue to lead them? Will Kevin Durant or Draymond Green or Klay Thompson continue their dominance for many years? All teams have flaws which might make them vulnerable to defeat. There is no question that all these teams are great contenders for the title of best team in basketball but what does this mean when there is no definitive answer as to which team deserves it most? It will be interesting to see what happens over time, which players stay together and who moves on. The next few seasons will tell us how good each squad really is. I think that with Lebron, Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love on the same team they should always be among the favorites to win a title. They just have too much firepower and defense. What they lack is consistency, which is why they need someone like Carmelo Anthony (who refused to play for the team) to help round out their lineup and give them a 3rd scorer/shooter. Now, as far as which team has the most potential...I'm looking at Kawhi Leonard. He doesn't seem to get enough credit even though he leads his team in scoring and his leadership skills are very evident from how he carried his teammates during those two playoff games against the Rockets where Danny Green was sidelined with injury (Leonard had 34 points combined). People talk about Lebron being tired after eight straight trips to the finals but did you know that Kawhi played through an injured ankle during last season's playoffs?
Golden State Warriors
This is a close race, but the Golden State
Warriors have the best team. With Kevin Durant joining Stephen Curry and
company, they are now one of the most powerful teams in the NBA. They are fast
paced, with players who can shoot from anywhere on the court and defend at a
high level. The only weakness might be that they don't get as many rebounds as
some other teams do. However, this does not stop them from being one of the top
teams in basketball. Basketball may be an individual sport, but it takes a
great team to make a championship season. It is difficult to choose which team
has the best squad for the upcoming 2017-2018 season.
But there is no doubt that these four
squads are definitely in contention for the title of Best Team. Let's break
down their chances by examining their strengths and weaknesses (which will help
us see what each needs to work on). Which is the best team of basketball?
Let's take a look at which team was ranked number one by Sports Illustrated: Golden State Warriors. Which is the best team of basketball? For me, the Golden State Warriors come out on top. They were able to secure both MVPs in 2014-2015 when Steph Curry lead them past LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers. That year they won 67 games with 24 losses while also going 12-2 against playoff opponents. Overall, I think it comes down to which team you want to win and what kind of game style you like watching; if you enjoy running up and down the court, then I think Golden State would be your choice.
San Antonio Spurs
In a league that is dominated by the Golden
State Warriors, the San Antonio Spurs are still fighting for their championship
title. The team has been around since 1973 and has played in 21 NBA finals.
They have won five NBA titles and six conference championships. The team is
currently coached by Gregg Popovich, who is one of only four coaches with over
1,000 wins on their record. They have many notable players including Tony
Parker, Kawhi Leonard, Manu Ginobili, and David Robinson. One game they
recently won was against Oklahoma City Thunder. The score was 103-97 with 12
points from Westbrook and 19 from Durant to go along with 7 rebounds from
Durant. Their defense is among the best in the league. It’s tough to say which
team would be better but either way it will be an exciting game! It seems like
any of these teams could be the best in basketball.
What do you think?
Houston Rockets
The Houston Rockets are the best team of
basketball. This is not a very controversial statement considering they won 65
games last season and went to the Western Conference Finals. They are an
exciting and dynamic offensive team led by James Harden, Chris Paul, and Clint
Capela. They have good role players such as P.J Tucker and Gerald Green who
play excellent defense. They also have what is arguably the best coach in
basketball, Mike D'Antoni, who has won three championships with two different
teams (Phoenix Suns 2004-05, Los Angeles Lakers 2008-09). The Rockets didn't
lose any starters from last year's team so there is no need for them to worry
about chemistry or player adjustments which can be huge when trying to start a
new business or just join a new company. But they did lose some key bench
players in Luc Mbah a Moute and Trevor Ariza which could potentially hurt their
depth at some point but it will take more than that to stop the Rockets.
There are other contenders this year too
like the Golden State Warriors who had one of the greatest seasons in NBA
history back in 2015-2016 but lost Kevin Durant this offseason which might put
them behind their competition for this upcoming season.
Meanwhile, you have the Toronto Raptors who made it to the Eastern Conference Finals but still don't know if Kawhi Leonard is coming back and what his status will be after his injury suffered during last year's finals series. Or maybe you're looking at the Philadelphia 76ers which is building on a great past couple years having been one of the best teams in basketball for 2018 and 2019. What about Boston Celtics? It seems unlikely because Kyrie Irving left the team to go back home to New York City where he was drafted originally, only making four All-Star appearances over six years with Boston. Or how about we look at Milwaukee Bucks? Giannis Antetokounmpo has played very well without Khris Middleton, who was traded away before last season began while Jabari Parker was injured all year long. Could they be on par with these great teams?
Los Angeles Clippers
The Los Angeles Clippers are the best team
in basketball. They have a solid bench, with underrated players such as
Montrezl Harrell and Raymond Felton. The starting lineup consists of Chris Paul
and JJ Redick on the wings, DeAndre Jordan down low, and Blake Griffin at power
forward. With this lineup, they can play fast when they need to or slow it down
with their big men to keep their opponents guessing. It's also hard to stop
because each player has an elite skill set - CP3 is an all-time point guard who
can still run like a gazelle while playing below-average defense. JJ Redick is
one of the most accurate shooters ever, and still plays good defense; DeAndre
Jordan is one of the most athletic centers ever while playing incredible defense
(he led the league in blocks last year). Blake Griffin is an athletic freak who
has improved his shooting enough that he's not just another offensive
liability; plus, he's turned himself into a great defender (he led the league
in steals last year). Finally, Lou Williams was acquired from Atlanta for
nothing after averaging 18 points per game for two straight seasons with
consistent three-point shooting. He should be able to contribute right away as
a backup ball handler and shooter.
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