The Golden State Warriors showed they are the best team in the West and now are a few games away from the NBA championship. With Game 1 vs the Boston Celtics less than a day away, do the Warriors enter the series as the favorite?
From the start of the season, Golden State showed they have what it takes to succeed. With a well-built and well-prepared team, Steve Kerr and his coaching staff were pleased to see the Warriors be among the top teams in the Conference.
Stephen Curry had to step up from the beginning and did so relatively easy, setting the tone for the franchise on both ends.
Klay Thompson had to be patient to overcome the serious injuries that derailed his career for a couple of seasons.
His return in early January gave him time to blend with the team again, while keeping the balance intact, and prepare for the playoffs. Draymond Green returned to his high standards especially on defense.
With the three superstars healthy and playing at their high standards, the Warriors secured three championships in four years (from 2015 to 2018).
And with Thompson returning to his high standards, the NBA Finals was a reasonable target for the franchise.
Throughout the year the team did not just rely on their superstars. Jordan Poole and Andrew Wiggins stepped up and started carrying the team on their shoulders on several occasions.
The star duo showed the team can rely on them for the future. Along with Otto Porter Jr and Gary Payton II, the Warriors had the most well-balanced team this season.
Counting down the minutes. pic.twitter.com/CVkGsK36zb — Golden State Warriors (@warriors) May 31, 2022
In the end, the team managed to secure a playoff spot relatively easy. From that point forward, Golden State has played championship-level basketball.
They rallied past the Denver Nuggets and the back-to-back MVP Nikola Jokic (4-1). They were both exceptional and lucky against the Memphis Grizzlies (4-2) since Ja Morant was injured and missed some crucial games in the series.
And they got the job done against the Dallas Mavericks in the Western Conference Finals (4-1), who had previously struggled against the Phoenix Suns.
Their only remaining obstacle en route to their fourth NBA title in eight years is the Boston Celtics. But, who would bet against the Golden State?
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