Golden State Warriors: 5 Keys To Repeating In 2015-16
2. Securing Home-Court Advantage
Last season, the Warriors posted an insane 39-2 record at Oracle Arena, outscoring opponents by a league-best 14.6 points per game. In the playoffs, the Dubs went 9-2 at home, with the second-best point differential among playoff teams at +7.5. Suffice it to say, this young team fed off the manic energy that Roaracle provided on a nightly basis.
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The Western Conference has been a nightmare for years now, but this season it’ll be an outright bloodbath. The Spurs added LaMarcus Aldridge, the Thunder are healthy, the Houston Rockets added Ty Lawson, the Los Angeles Clippers added depth and the Memphis Grizzlies aren’t going anywhere. Making it out of that slaughter won’t be easy for anyone.
But if the Dubs can secure home-court advantage throughout the playoffs, they’ll be a narrow favorite in every series no matter who they’re playing. Against other teams that are similarly dangerous at home like the Spurs, Thunder and Clippers, having that Oracle advantage could make all the difference in a seven-game series.
To that end, Golden State will want to finish with the league’s best record again in 2015-16. They might not win 67 games again with such a big target on their backs, but finding a way to win that No. 1 overall seed is more important than one would think.
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