Golden State Warriors: Is there true competition in the West?

The Golden State Warriors have had a frustrating start to the season, losing a number of winnable games. The team hasn’t looked like its usual dominant self, and at times has seemed to be coasting. Despite this, they sit in second place in the Western Conference, only a game-and-a-half behind the leading Houston Rockets. Is there true competition in the West?

The Golden State Warriors have been frustrating to watch at times throughout this early part of the season. They’ve had slow starts to almost every game this season, and have struggled to replicate their usual dominance. On occasion, it almost seems like the Dubs are coasting.

There’s a chance they’re saving their best efforts for the playoffs, but that’s a long way away. Perhaps the issue lies, however, in the lack of competition in the Western Conference.

The Warriors have been nowhere near their best, yet they sit in second place, only 1.5 games behind the leading Houston Rockets. The West was slated to be far more competitive this season, with a number of new superstar arrivals. It may just be because it’s still early days in this new season, but the lack of competition is concerning.

Is it a case of the Warriors not taking their competition seriously enough? More importantly, is there any true competition for the Warriors when they (hopefully) reach their highest standard?

The Warriors have been sub-par

The Warriors have not been at their best so far. At times, they’ve been frustrating to watch because they’re so much better than this. A number of games have been marred by sloppy play, with high turnover counts derailing their chances at winning.

At other times, the team appears to be coasting, as if they’re waiting for the regular season to end so they can do their damage in the playoffs. Some examples of lost games which they should have won include:

• Opening night against the Houston Rockets
• Nov. 17 against the Boston Celtics
• Nov. 28 against the Sacramento Kings

These were all games they lost late. The Rockets and Celtics games saw the Dubs hold significant leads at certain points in the games. The Dubs narrowly avoided another game like this against the Los Angeles Lakers on Nov. 29, as they just escaped in overtime.

The team has not played at its best, and that’s where the concern lies. The other contending teams in the Western Conference haven’t been able to capitalize on the Warriors’ poor form. The Rockets are the only team who have, and they only hold a slight lead at the top.

Where’s the competition?

The Warriors could very well be going through a brief slump, and once they get out of it, they won’t return to this level. It’s imperative that teams use this golden opportunity to climb the rankings, strengthen their game, and provide competition.

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These teams haven’t done that, as the Warriors are virtually at the top. The Rockets have been aided by the return of Chris Paul, which has assisted in their ascension, but other touted contenders haven’t taken advantage of the Warriors’ struggles.

The San Antonio Spurs, Minnesota Timberwolves and Oklahoma City Thunder were all touted as challengers to the Warriors’ success prior to the season. The Kawhi Leonard-less Spurs are only 1.5 games behind the Warriors, but the Timberwolves are three games behind. As for the Thunder, they aren’t even in the top eight teams in the conference.

Teams such as the Portland Trail Blazers and Denver Nuggets have surprised early, but they don’t boast enough firepower to sustain the required level of competition. So far, only the Rockets have showed up, and when the Warriors join them, they look set to leave the Rockets in their dust.

What does this mean?

The question that must be asked is: What happens if the Warriors return to their dominance, and the other teams don’t catch up? This is arguably the toughest and most well-balanced Western Conference since Golden State took over the NBA. If the Dubs replicate their form from years prior, and this is the highest level of competition they’ll face, it’ll be a cakewalk to the Finals.

However, more frighteningly, is the notion that the Warriors may be the only ones who can stop themselves. We could be seeing a situation where the West has to wait out the Warriors era, like the Eastern Conference has been doing with LeBron James.

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The Dubs, though, are still a relatively young team. With the selflessness of the team’s stars in regards to salaries and pay cuts, this core may be together for a very long time to come. The competition needs to improve drastically in a short space of time if the West is to avoid becoming a one-horse race.