The rumors of the demise of the Golden State Warriors dynasty has been greatly exaggerated. After thrashing the supposed Eastern Conference frontrunners 117-99 and having a lead as large as 28 points, it’s official — The Warriors are back.
That shouldn’t be a surprise to anyone that didn’t prematurely bury Steph Curry and Draymond Green. And I’m sure there were a few people out there in the wilderness who believed in their heart that Andre Iguodala was not yet washed. The Warriors sit at an NBA-best 12-2 and sports the league’s best net rating at +13.1.
It turns out, the NBA fans are quick believers. In the latest SB Nation Reacts poll, The Warriors trounced their Western Conference counterparts as the most likely team to win the West. Golden State garnered 65% of the vote with the Phoenix Suns trailing so far behind they were practically on the wrong side of the Mississippi River at 12%. The Utah Jazz (stealthily owners of the league’s most potent offense) and the Denver Nuggets (league’s third best defense) both come next with 7% of the vote.
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In the Eastern Conference, we transition from a dynasty buoyed by generational talents to celebrating good old-fashioned all-around competence. When asked which team in the Eastern Conference would maintain its surprising start, the big winner was your Washington Wizards with an eye-popping 73% of the vote.
Competence and the Wizards haven’t exactly been synonymous lately, but that’s the kind of magic you can conjure when you are able to offload Russell Westbrook for several rotational contributors in former Detroit Pistons Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Flint native Kyle Kuzma, big man Montrezl Harrell. Following that up with a huge free agent signing like former Piston, Bull and Net Spencer Dinwiddie, finally getting his big payday. Well, something’s brewing in Washington.
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It’s the sort of competence Pistons fans can really only dream of at this point. But at least we have Cade Cunningham who everyone agrees has competence to spare, and that’s something even the pessimists can get behind.
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