5 reasons the San Antonio Spurs can win the 2017 NBA Championship

By John Buhler | Apr 14, 2017

Mar 21, 2017; Minneapolis, MN, USA; San Antonio Spurs forward Kawhi Leonard (2) dribbles in the fourth quarter against the Minnesota Timberwolves at Target Center. The San Antonio Spurs beat the Minnesota Timberwolves 100-93. Mandatory Credit: Brad Rempel-USA TODAY Sports /

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Apr 5, 2017; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) reacts against the Phoenix Suns at Talking Stick Resort Arena. The Warriors defeated the Suns 120-111. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports /

4. Has Golden State been tested in the West yet?

Good job by Golden State to win over 60 games for the third straight season. That’s very impressive, but will that translate to a third straight NBA Finals appearance? While Golden State has been the crème de la crème of the West the last two years, have they really been tested in the Western Conference playoffs en route to facing the Cleveland Cavaliers in the NBA Finals?

This will be the fifth playoff appearance of the Splash Brothers era of the Warriors. They were a No. 6 seeds the first two years, but didn’t catch fire until the 2014-15 NBA season. That year Golden State beat Cleveland for their first NBA title in 40 years. However, their path to the Larry O’Brien Trophy was easier than it should have been.

They swept the New Orleans Pelicans in round one, out-grinded the Memphis Grizzlies in the Conference Semifinals and out-launched the Houston Rockets in the Western Conference Finals. Golden State didn’t have to play the two best teams in the West besides themselves that year: San Antonio and the Los Angeles Clippers. Cleveland was also-ran in the Finals with LeBron James and Matthew Dellavedova and that’s it.

Last year, Golden State beat a .500 Rockets team, the no front-court Portland Trail Blazers and an Oklahoma City Thunder team that choked a 3-1 lead on the Warriors. Golden State would return the favor and blow a 3-1 lead to Cleveland in the NBA Finals.

So the best team Golden State has beaten in the NBA Playoffs the last two years was Oklahoma City. Another interesting wrinkle to the Golden State playoff cake walk is that the last time the Warriors played San Antonio in the Western Conference Playoffs, they lost. San Antonio is battle-tested. Are we sure Golden State is?