Watch the Throne: The 4 biggest threats to the Golden State Warriors
The Golden State Warriors championship run last season was a screenwriter’s dream. The main factor was the adversity they dealt with leading up to that point. After losing in the NBA Finals to the Toronto Raptors in 2019, dealing with injuries, and missing the playoffs for two consecutive seasons, to ending back on top with relative ease– it had all the elements of the perfect comeback story.
With another trophy added to their collection, the Dubs are once again the team to beat. They brought the championship back to the Bay Area, and now the journey to keep it there has begun. But the preseason has not been rainbows and butterflies for the Golden State Warriors, who have been dealing with adversity since reports and a video of Draymond Green punching his teammate Jordan Poole in practice surfaced in the past two weeks.
With the opening tip for the 2022–23 season just days away, the rest of the league is focused on the road to winning a championship while the Dubs deal with their problems. However, internal issues aside, beating the Golden State Warriors is no easy task. However, some teams look to impose threats to dethrone them.
Golden State Warriors: A tea party in Boston
Another team that dealt with its own problems this summer was the Boston Celtics. The organization decided to suspend head coach Ime Udoka for a year after violating the Celtics’ handbook by engaging in a consensual relationship with a staff member. But with or without Udoka, the talent is undeniable on Boston’s roster, and that showed in their run to the NBA Finals before losing to the Warriors in six games.
A sweep against the highly-favored Brooklyn Nets, overcoming the Milwaukee Bucks in seven games, before another grueling seven-game series against Jimmy Butler and the Heat. The Celtics gave us one of the most incredible playoffs runs ever to not end with a championship. At the age of 24, Jayson Tatum’s star just continues to burn brighter in front of our very eyes.
And the NBA Finals experience will greatly help him and his teammates in the upcoming season. Of course, they would not be successful without Jaylen Brown, Marcus Smart, Al Horford, and Derrick White. While they are clearly a talented team, the Celtics stepped up in a big way to prove themselves in a highly competitive Eastern Conference.
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Over the offseason, the Celtics kept their core intact while adding more experienced players like Malcolm Brogdon, Blake Griffin, and Danilo Gallinari to the mix. The Celtics will be tipping off the season against the Sixers on Tuesday, while their foes in the Bay Area receive their rings. I believe they will come out swinging this season.