I think if Golden State is going to be considered a dark horse to win the title, it will have to be next season.
- 1st year head coach
- Injury concerns (Livingston, Bogut, Curry, Lee, Ezeli, Rush) over half of their rotation struggle with being healthy
- Can Barnes take a leap forward as a starter?
- Turnover prone....this has always been an issue with Golden State and I think this is a big reason why they struggle to beat Memphis a lot of times. They turn the ball over far too much and make careless mistakes. Looking at their preseason numbers, they still seem to have a very high turnover rate. Against great defensive teams, that will make them a lot more easy to beat. I know their fast pace can result in a lot of turnovers, but I think they can lower that number a little more
Those are the main concerns. I think they will have a great year, but they will be in a lot of trouble if they match up against a great defensive team in the playoffs unless those teams fall into playing at a fast pace like they do (Houston, LAC). I think a healthy OKC team would be a little too much for them as well.
My darkhorse contender will be Dallas. Their only concern at this point is their PG play. But, I do think they have enough depth at that position to sustain an average to above average level of play at that position. If Chandler gets back to his 2011 defensive ways, they will be a tough out. One of the best coaches in the league, Dirk still in elite form, adding Parsons only makes them a tougher out.
I can't call the Grizz a contender until I see how the team comes out to start the season and how Joerger uses the rotation.