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The Golden State Warriors are back, and they're ready to defend their throne after avenging a 2016 NBA Finals loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers with a five-game statement in June's championship clash.
In possession of the Larry O'Brien Trophy once again, the Warriors will set their sights on a repeat as they get set to open another slate as overwhelming favorites to conquer the rest of the Association.
And now that the Warriors' schedule is out, they can start to circle games that will serve as litmus tests on their quest to start a dynastic run with Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant, Draymond Green and Klay Thompson all squarely in their primes.
2017-18 Details
Season Opener: Tuesday, Oct. 16 at home vs. Houston Rockets
Championship Odds: 1-1 (via Odds Shark)
Full Schedule: NBA.com
Top Matchups
Cleveland Cavaliers: First Matchup at home (Monday, Dec. 25)
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For the last few years, Warriors-Cavaliers regular-season showdowns have drawn hype few games have matched.
And while they haven't always lived up to the top billing they've received, there have been moments of legitimate drama.
Take last Christmas, for example, when Kyrie Irving propelled the Cavs to a 109-108 win over the Dubs thanks to his game-winning jumper with 3.4 seconds remaining in regulation.
It's also worth noting the Warriors have lost two of their last three regular-season games at Quicken Loans Arena—including last year's Christmas tilt—dating back to the start of the 2014-15 campaign.
Firmly entrenched as the league's premier rivals, the Cavaliers and Warriors should continue to draw the undivided attention of the NBA as they continue to vie for superior standing in advance of what could be a fourth straight meeting on the game's grandest stage.
Houston Rockets: Home Opener (Tuesday, Oct. 16)
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The Warriors may be the class of the Western Conference, but they're going to have to survive a gauntlet in order to make a return trip to the Finals.
Their primary competition in that regard figures to come from the Houston Rockets, who made the biggest power move of the offseason by acquiring Chris Paul and teaming him up with James Harden, Trevor Ariza, Eric Gordon, Clint Capela and a couple of feisty defenders in P.J. Tucker and Luc Mbah a Moute.
That's the kind of balanced roster that could give the Warriors some trouble.
Not only do the Rockets have the versatile wing defenders necessary to pester the Warriors' slew of perimeter playmakers but they're one of the few teams that can keep pace with Golden State in the scoring column.
Assuming Paul and Harden can avoid a my-turn, your-turn style of offense and mesh under Mike D'Antoni's watch in his patented "seven seconds or less" scheme, the Rockets should represent a legitimate threat to the Warriors' reign atop the West.
Prediction
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If it wasn't clear already, anything less than a first-place finish and home-court advantage throughout the Western Conference playoffs would be a surprise for head coach Steve Kerr's squad.
And considering the Warriors won 67 games during Durant's first year in the Bay Area, it's fair to expect some marginal improvement in the win column now that they've successfully brought all their core pieces—including Andre Iguodala and Shaun Livingston—back into the fold.
Sprinkle in the arrivals of bench sharpshooter Nick Young and rookie rim protector Jordan Bell, and the Warriors have the potential to be even more efficient on both ends as they pursue a successful title defense.
In other words, don't be surprised if the Warriors flirt with 70-plus wins for the second time in three seasons before the real action rolls around in mid-April.
Record Prediction: 69-13