Fansided

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) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
4 of 6
Next
OAKLAND, CA – MAY 14: Kawhi Leonard
OAKLAND, CA – MAY 14: Kawhi Leonard /

3. San Antonio Spurs

The biggest question for the San Antonio Spurs heading into this season is the status of Kawhi Leonard. After missing Game 6 in the second round of the playoffs, a 4-2 series win over the Rockets, Leonard came back for the Western Conference Finals against the Warriors but reaggravated the injury in Game 1 after stepping on Zaza Pachulia’s foot in the third quarter. He would miss the remainder of the series and Golden State obviously went on to sweep the Spurs on their way to another NBA title. It’s hard to know how that series would have turned out had Kawhi Leonard played the entire series but things went down the way they went down and a new season is upon San Antonio.

Leonard will not play at all in the preseason but it’s actually got nothing to do with the ankle injury sustained in that series. Instead, he’ll continue to rehab a lingering quadriceps injury from last season. He also suffered a hand injury and a concussion and his status for the early part of the season is up in the air.

However, this is Gregg Popovich and the San Antonio Spurs and somebody else will step up if Leonard can’t go early on. Not only are the big pieces like Pau Gasol, LaMarcus Aldridge, Danny Green and Manu Ginobli, who recently signed a two-year extension, back for another run but former NBA Finals MVP Tony Parker will be back in the mix after missing the majority of the playoffs due to injury. The Spurs have also added veteran Rudy Gay to the roster and as per usual, San Antonio has depth, which any team sorely needs if they’re going to match up with Golden State.

Most experts didn’t give the Spurs much of a chance to compete last season after the retirement of Tim Duncan and there is some age on this team. However, the Spurs being counted out of any title conversation likely just fuels Popovich and this group of veterans, many of whom have won multiple championships already. If the main pieces, especially Leonard, who has become the best two-way player in the NBA, can stay healthy, the Spurs may be able to shock Golden State.