2018 NBA Playoffs: Golden State Warriors vs. San Antonio Spurs preview

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(Photo by Noah Graham/NBAE via Getty Images) /

The No. 2-seeded Golden State Warriors will face the No. 7-seeded San Antonio Spurs in Round 1 of the 2018 NBA Playoffs. Let’s take a look at the matchups and central questions that will determine who wins, and how easily.

For the second straight year, we will be treated to a playoff battle between the Golden State Warriors and San Antonio Spurs. Although last year’s Western Conference Finals lost its luster when Kawhi Leonard went down in Game 1, this first-round matchup is somewhere below that. Leonard is (supposedly) hurt again, but this time, Stephen Curry is too.

In a way, that adds a level of excitement to this seemingly lopsided 2 vs. 7 matchup. The Warriors went 58-24 this season, but only 17-14 without Curry. That latter record projects to 45-37 over a full season — two games worse than San Antonio’s 47-35 mark.

Of course, it’s more complicated than that. Kevin Durant, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green missed a large number of games as well, and all three are healthy now. The Warriors also have played with a shaky effort level that some expect them to easily shed, while others think it will plague them.

Fewer questions surround San Antonio, both for better and for worse. Outside of a shocking Leonard return, we know exactly who the Spurs are. Can this weird version of the Warriors dispatch of them quickly, or is there more to this matchup? Let’s take a deeper look.