Kurtenbach: The Warriors are favorites to repeat as champions. These
three teams are their biggest threats
Golden State Warriors will have to watch out for these teams in
defending NBA title next season
>SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA – MAY 13: Golden State Warriors’ Stephen
Curry (30) pumps his fist after scoring a basket as Memphis Grizzlies’
Steven Adams (4) walks away in the fourth quarter of Game 6 of a
second-round NBA basketball playoff series at Chase Center in San
Francisco, Calif., on Friday, May 13, 2022. The Golden State Warriors
defeated the Memphis Grizzlies 110-96. (Jose Carlos Fajardo/Bay Area
News Group)
>SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA – MAY 13: Golden State Warriors’ Stephen
Curry (30) pumps his fist after scoring a basket as Memphis Grizzlies’
Steven Adams (4) walks away in the fourth quarter of Game 6 of a
second-round NBA basketball playoff series at Chase Center in San
Francisco, Calif., on Friday, May 13, 2022. The Golden State Warriors
defeated the Memphis Grizzlies 110-96. (Jose Carlos Fajardo/Bay Area
News Group)
By DIETER KURTENBACH | dkurtenbach@bayareanewsgroup.com | Bay Area News
Group
PUBLISHED: June 21, 2022 at 5:00 a.m. | UPDATED: June 22, 2022 at 4:32 a.m.
https://www.eastbaytimes.com/2022/06/21/kurtenbach-the-warriors-are-favorites-to-repeat-as-champions-these-three-teams-are-their-biggest-threats/

Welcome to the 2022 NBA offseason, ladies and gentlemen.

The Warriors are the oddsmakers’ favorites to repeat as champions, but,
as with this season, there will be nearly a dozen teams that can lay
claim to being a contender.

I don’t know if they all have a claim, but I do see three teams in the
Western Conference – let the East take care of itself – that the
Warriors should keep a close eye on this offseason, because they
represent the strongest threats to the crown:

>MEMPHIS, TENNESSEE – MAY 1: Memphis Grizzlies’ Ja Morant (12) takes a
shot against Golden State Warriors’ Andrew Wiggins (22) in the third
quarter of Game 1 of the team’s NBA basketball second-round playoff
series at the FedEx Forum in Memphis, Tenn., on Sunday, May 1, 2022.
(Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)

- Memphis Grizzlies

One could make the argument that the Grizzlies — not the Mavericks or
Eastern Conference champion Celtics — provided the Warriors their
biggest scare this postseason.

There is certainly an alternate universe where Ja Morant never injures
his right knee and Memphis upsets the Dubs in the second round in May.

But Morant did injure his knee, and the Warriors beat the Grizzlies in
six games because of it.

What stood out in that second-round series was how valuable Gary Payton
II was, or, I suppose, would have been. Payton was injured in the early
moments of Game 2 by a cheap-shot flagrant foul from Dillon Brooks that
broke the Warrior’s elbow.

I know it feels like a decade ago, but remember: Without Payton, the
Warriors had no one who could stay in front of Morant on the perimeter,
and that provided Memphis with the upper hand in the series until
Morant’s injury.

Memphis is young, Morant’s injury appears to be minor in the grand
scheme, and with a couple of simple moves, the Grizzlies could be far
enough under the NBA’s salary cap to add a clear No. 2 to the mix.

After the Warriors won the title, a number of them spent some time
chirping at the Grizzlies in press conferences and on Twitter. There’s
some energy for a real rivalry here both on and off the court.

Memphis is going to come strong again next season. If the Warriors want
to position themselves to beat them again, they need to bring back
Payton, whatever the cost.

>SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA – MAY 20: Dallas Mavericks’ Luka Doncic (77)
is guarded by Golden State Warriors’ Andrew Wiggins during Game 2 of
their NBA Western Conference Finals playoff game at the Chase Center in
San Francisco, Calif., on Friday, May 20, 2022. (Karl Mondon/Bay Area
News Group)

- Dallas Mavericks

The Warriors were able to beat the Mavericks in five games because
Dallas was a one-trick pony.

Their plays include Give The Ball to Luka and Get Out of Luka’s Way.
There’s not much else in their playbook.

Against the vast majority of NBA teams, Luka Dončić is singlehandedly
enough to win games. But the Warriors,who harkened back to their battles
with James Harden in the Western Conference finals are not the “vast
majority.”

The Mavericks know there’s a big gap between them and the champions and
they’ve already started working on cutting that down by trading for
center Christian Wood. Wood will provide some sorely-needed rim
protection and has a chance to be a nice roll-man with Dončić.

Dallas’ issue is that it needs a better No. 2 scorer. Steph had Klay
Thompson and, at one point, Kevin Durant. Jalen Brunson is a nice backup
point guard, but he’s nowhere near that caliber of player.

But Brunson is due to receive a new contract this offseason. If the
Mavericks lock him in long-term, they will pretty much also lock in
their status as contenders in theory only. Dallas does have some payroll
flexibility and can play around with sign-and-trade possibilities
because its roster can easily fit under the luxury tax line.

If the Mavericks make a big, bold move (or two), they could be right
back in the Western Conference finals again in 2023 with an even better
chance of winning.

>Kawhi Leonard (2) of the LA Clippers reacts after making a basket tate
Warriors at Chase Center on March 10, 2020, in San Francisco. (Ezra
Shaw/Getty Images)

- Los Angeles Clippers

There are only a few teams that can boast, like the Clippers, that they
can stand pat and be true title contenders, if not the favorites.

Yes, the Clippers were a play-in team this past season. They didn’t even
make it to the real playoff tournament. But they have one of the most
valuable players in basketball returning next year in Kawhi Leonard.
Alongside Paul George, Leonard gives the Clippers the best 1-2 punch in
the league at the most important position in the game.

Wings win titles. Just ask the Warriors, who saw Andrew Wiggins have an
out-of-body experience in the postseason to be, inarguably, the team’s
second most important player.

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Wiggins did his best Leonard impression over the last two months.

The Clippers get the real Leonard back next season.

When you pair him with Paul George, a great coach in Ty Lue, a deep
roster and a deep-pocketed owner, you have a fascinating combination
that might not thrive in the regular season but could be, if healthy, a
wickedly tough out when the games really matter.