Tuesday night the NBA kicked off its 2015-16 campaign, poised to be one of the most exciting seasons in recent memory. Cleveland Cavaliers star LeBron James still owns the title of best player in the game, but unlike the past several seasons, he now has legitimate competition for the crown and they’re all from the Western Conference. The contenders: reigning NBA champion and league MVP Stephen Curry; former Finalist foe and scorer extraordinaire Kevin Durant; the future face of the league, Anthony Davis, who dominates on both sides of the ball; the undisputed beard champion of the world and Euro step god James Harden; and the backcourt bully and triple double factory boss Russell Westbrook. All five players have a legitimate chance of unseating King James as the gold standard.
Some may gripe over Los Angeles Clippers star Chris Paul’s exclusion from the list. Paul is often listed amongst the top five or six players in the league. CP3 is undoubtedly an all-world point guard, but there’s virtually no argument for him being the best player in the game. Paul is entering his 11th season in the league and has yet to reach the Conference Finals, much less earned championship bling. Furthermore, with Blake Griffin’s development as a shooter and ball handler, Paul might be the second-best player on his own team. Still, with the Clippers’ litany of signings, they could be the Warriors’ biggest threat in the West.
During the offseason, the Clips re-signed DeAndre Jordan. Though the signing was shady, Jordan is one of the best defenders and rebounders in the league. They also added Paul Pierce, Lance Stephenson, Josh Smith, Wesley Johnson and others to become one of the deepest teams in the entire league. On paper, the Clippers have all the tools to finally get over the hump. However, any team with Stephenson and Smith is going to go through some headaches. Plus, if Jordan wasn’t strong-minded enough to get through free agency without being kidnapped by his team to keep him in town, he’s probably not the anchor you want to lead you to the promised land.
Back to the list, with Durant back from injury, the Oklahoma City Thunder immediately go from a team that missed the playoffs to a bona fide title contender. Durant’s absence helped Westbrook develop into a true leader as he single handedly kept his team alive down the stretch last season with a string of triple-double performances. With former Jazz center Enes Kanter on board, they now have a formidable center to place in the frontcourt alongside help-side defender extraordinaire Serge Ibaka. Durant’s absence helped other teams shine last season. His return may put them back in their place.
The San Antonio Spurs received high praise on everybody’s offseason list after signing LaMarcus Aldridge, the most highly sought after free agent, away from the Portland Trail Blazers. Aldridge joins the ageless wonder Tim Duncan to form the most highly-skilled front court in the game. Former Finals MVP Kawhi Leonard is now the leader of the Spurs team. At just 24-years-old, Leonard’s game is still improving every season. He’s a rare shutdown defender that can still put up 20 ppg, as evidenced during last year’s postseason. With Gregg Popovich calling the shots, the Spurs are the team everybody has to fear.
Harden’s Houston Rockets surprised many last season by winning 56 games and winning the Southwest Division. They reached the Western Conference Finals for the first time since 1997. Were Harden not hit with the Based God Curse by Lil B, who knows, the Rockets could be preparing for its championship ring ceremony. Harden played out of his mind during last season’s playoffs. Adding Ty Lawson to a team that finished as the #2 seed in the vicious Western Conference is a big deal, one that is often overlooked due to the more high profile acquisitions by the Clippers and Spurs. Whether Dwight Howard can stay on the court could determine how far the Rockets rise this season.
Finally, the defending champion Golden State Warriors will be looking to defend its title against all the aforementioned monsters. The Warriors made very few changes this offseason. The team’s goal was to keep together its core that won a franchise record 67 games last season and sent the best player in the game packing in the NBA Finals. The Warriors were often touted as one of the best teams of all-time from a statistical perspective. Defensive menace Draymond Green was brought back and David Lee was set free. Otherwise, the Warriors will go as far as Chef Curry can take them. If opening night is any indication, Curry could have an even better season. The player with the video game skills put up 24 points in the first quarter versus the New Orleans Pelicans and ended the night with 40. More importantly, the team chemistry looked fantastic as the team zipped the basketball all around the court like the Harlem Globetrotters, despite the fact that Coach Steve Kerr was missing.
The Warriors will need Klay Thompson to find his game after a terrible NBA Finals. One thing the Warriors proved last season though is that the team is deep and talented enough to get the job done even when its star players are struggling. Between his unlimited range, lightning quick release, insane handles and dime-dropping abilities, Curry is unguardable. He leaves hopeless defenders dancing around like Drake. As long as his teammates continue to knock down open shots, the Warriors should go back-to-back and earn some more hotline bling in the process.
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