NBA Power Rankings: Miami Heat Still No. 1?
By Wes Goldberg
No. 8: Golden State Warriors
May 16, 2013; Oakland, CA, USA; Golden State Warriors point guard Stephen Curry (30) acknowledges the crowd after game six of the second round of the 2013 NBA Playoffs against the San Antonio Spurs at Oracle Arena. The Spurs defeated the Warriors 94-82. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson took the NBA playoffs by storm last season, even getting people to ask if they were the greatest shooting backcourt in NBA history — and neither of them in even 26 years old.
Golden State entered the offseason will little-to-no breathing room to make any moves. Somehow, they did. They traded away the contracts of Richard Jefferson and Andris Biedrins and were able to land Andre Iguodala in a sign-and-trade.
The Dubs added Jermaine O’Neal and Marreese Speights after losing Carl Landry to solidify its front court. Harrison Barnes, along with Curry and Thompson, form a young and dynamic trio that can dominate in a small ball setting.
They replace Jarrett Jack with Iggy, who, unlike Jack, is a lock-down defender and, like Jack, can run the point while Curry goes off-ball or subs out and can hit a midrange shot. Iguodala’s defense will also take some of the pressure off David Lee and Andrew Bogut.
Golden State has an improved team that is incredibly versatile. They are certainly a contender in the West and, if they get hot, could be considered a contender to knock out the Miami Heat with a blizzard of three’s.