NBA: Ranking the Pacific Division teams

Jun 19, 2015; Oakland, CA, USA; Golden State Warriors guard

(9) speaks during the Golden State Warriors 2015 championship celebration at the Henry J. Kaiser Convention Center. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports

1 – Golden State Warriors

2014-15 record: 67-15
Key Additions: Jason Thompson (trade), Kevon Looney (draft)
Key Losses: David Lee (trade)

To quote the great Ric Flair, ‘to be the man you’ve got to beat the man,’ and until someone not named the Golden State Warriors wins the 2016 NBA Finals, this team will be listed atop any ranking involving the question of ‘who’ the best team.

No one expected the Warriors to be the team they were all of last year, thrusting themselves into All-time team conversations as they dominated via whatever metric you decide best to measure their success: eye, advanced, wins, or whatever. Now with some pressure on and the bullseye on their back I wonder if this team is primed to get better, which is a scary thought after a 67-win season (I don’t think they reach this win output in back-to-back years).

It’s core in Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Draymond Green, and Andrew Bogut was retained, and at their ages (excluding Bogut and including Harrison Barnes), it’s fair to assume Curry, Thompson, and Green come into the season better than their 2014-15 versions, which is scary. Shaun Livingston and Andre Iguodala remain, Festus Ezeli could be key to keeping Bogut fresh, and new face Jason Thompson is a vast improvement over old face David Lee — and possibly backup big Marreese Speights.

So yeah, this team is the frontrunner until someone decides otherwise, to which I say good luck ‘making that decision.’