With the best record in the NBA. not many teams can handle Golden State at the moment. Don’t expect that to change, even against an improved Oklahoma City Thunder.
There shouldn’t be an argument who’s the best player in the NBA at this moment in time. Stephen Curry is playing some superb basketball, averaging 23 points, 8.1 assists and 2.1 steals per game, he’s a huge reason why Golden State are playing so well and why Oklahoma City Thunder won’t be able to handle them on Friday night.
OKC have looked a little better since Russell Westbrook and reigning league MVP Kevin Durant returned from injury but they’ve not sky-rocketed like many thought they would. They are playing solid defence but when facing Curry and fellow Splash Brother Klay Thompson, who was recently named the Western Conference’s Player of the Week, you have to back the Warriors to win with the handicap and for them to win both halves.
Earlier in the evening, the Washington Wizards host the Brooklyn Nets in what should be a much more even contest. The Wizards have a deep team, led by their star point guard John Wall who’s been one of the most exciting players to watch this season and surrounded by other great shooters that’s allowed them to become the best team in the NBA from beyond the arc.
The Nets have some real quality in their ranks but either they are missing through injury, like Brook Lopez, or just plain missing, like Deron Williams, and with their owner looking to sell up, they don’t look like the team that was promised a few years ago. Take Washington to win this one at the largest handicap, they are too strong offensively for Brooklyn to handle.
Our final game sees us head to Los Angeles as the Clippers face the Cleveland Cavaliers in an intriguing contest. The Clippers have been a very inconsistent team of late, winning one game whilst losing the next in a bit of a random fashion. They’ve been good on offence, posting the biggest score of the season on a strong Dallas team, yet leak too many easy baskets on the other end.
The Cavaliers have been slipping recently in LeBron James’ absence but with the King back in the line-up, things might start looking up in Cleveland. They’ve made some moves to improve their bench and depth but they will need time to gel and that gives Doc Rivers’ team the advantage. Go for the Clippers to win this one, it’s a bad time for the Cavs to face a strong team that can rack up the score.
