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NBA Season Preview 2017-18: 5 teams that can beat the Warriors

By Luke Norris

HOUSTON, TX - DECEMBER 19: James Harden #13 of the Houston Rockets and Chris Paul #3 of the Los Angeles Clippers shake hands before the game on December 19, 2015 at the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2015 NBAE (Photo by Bill Baptist/NBAE via Getty Images)
HOUSTON, TX - DECEMBER 19: James Harden #13 of the Houston Rockets and Chris Paul #3 of the Los Angeles Clippers shake hands before the game on December 19, 2015 at the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2015 NBAE (Photo by Bill Baptist/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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OKLAHOMA CITY, OK – OCTOBER 1: Russell Westbrook
OKLAHOMA CITY, OK – OCTOBER 1: Russell Westbrook /

4. Oklahoma City Thunder

In their first season without Kevin Durant, the Oklahoma City Thunder didn’t have very high expectations going into the 2016-17 campaign. However, Russell Westbrook made the team more competitive than anyone could have imagined en route to becoming the first player since Oscar Robertson to average a triple-double. Westbrook would go on to win the NBA Most Valuable Player award and gave the Houston Rockets all they could handle before being eliminated in the first round of the Western Conference Playoffs.

Following the season, there hadn’t been much talk of adding big pieces to the roster to give Westbrook some help. With all due respect, Enes Kanter and Victor Oladipo weren’t going to get the team any closer to competing at a high level. All of a sudden, however, word comes down that the Thunder had traded for Paul George, who everybody thought would go to the Lakers or the Celtics or anywhere else besides Oklahoma City. Immediately, the odds of the Thunder competing not only in the Western Conference, but for an NBA title, got a lot better.

The Thunder then added Raymond Felton and Patrick Patterson. These weren’t high-impact signings but these are the types of players that are needed on championship teams. They drafted and signed former McDonald’s All-American Terrance Ferguson, who certainly has the potential to be a solid player off the bench for Billy Donovan.

With a strong one-two punch in Westbrook and George and a solid supporting cast, Thunder seemed poised to become a real contender and then yet another surprise came down the line. Rumors of Carmelo Anthony leaving the New York Knicks ran wild for weeks on end and all signs pointed to him being dealt to the Houston Rockets to join James Harden and Chris Paul. However, as it turns out, the Thunder got into the mix and shipped Enes Kanter and Doug McDermott to New York in exchange for the 10-time NBA All-Star, giving Oklahoma City a three-headed monster with the ability to rival the offensive potency of the Golden State Warriors.

The biggest problem for the Thunder this season is they only have one basketball. Westbrook has obviously proven that he has no problem passing the basketball but the Thunder are his team. He’s the face of the franchise and when someone needs to take that last shot, will he be willing to give that up? The potential of him driving the lane and finding either George or Anthony on the wing is fun to think about but can these three coexist? We’ll find out soon enough.