5 reasons Warriors win 2017 NBA title with Kevin Durant

1. An easier route to the Finals themselves

So, with Kevin Durant in Golden State, Russell Westbrook just became the lone superstar in Oklahoma City on a team that will no longer be the toughest opponent for the Warriors in making it out of the Western Conference to the Finals.

There isn’t much to explain. While Russell Westbrook will be playing with more anger than ever and the power of his dunks will be rim-shattering, the Thunder and the city of Oklahoma City took several major steps back after losing Durant. Westbrook can try to average a triple-double as the undisputed leader, plus the trade of Serge Ibaka for Victor Oladipo, Ersan Ilysova, and rookie Domantas Sabonis added a few helpful pieces, but they won’t be taking down this Warriors team anymore, as dangerous as they may still be to most.

As for the Spurs, it was clear in the playoffs this year that the Thunder’s size, physicality, defense and sheer speed was too much for them to handle, and the frequent reliance on Kawhi Leonard and LaMarcus Aldridge to score at times couldn’t work. Against an even more supercharged Warriors team, not even Kawhi, the great Klaw himself, can stop Curry, Thompson, Durant and Green.

Can the Clippers contend? They have a better shot if healthy and Blake Griffin is around for the full season, but with the current state of their bench and only having minimum contracts to fill out the roster, an already inferior starting lineup won’t be defeating Golden State either.

Barring injuries, the Warriors should be heading back to the Finals for the third straight year.

Weaker opposition on the road there and extra rest always helps, and when you arrive at the final stage of the season with the best team in the league, that helps, too.

It’s still hard to process what’s actually happened after writing this piece. Until we see Durant take to the floor in a Warriors jersey, it’ll likely seem that way for some time.

Many fans of the game will be angry, frustrated, even betrayed in the case of some Thunder fans. Jerseys will burn and tears will certainly be shed.

But this is the state of the NBA now, and it’s strange to think what the potential of the already best regular season team in history could be now. A dynasty and multiple banners could be on the way.

For more NBA coverage, be sure to check out our NBA hub page.