Sportsnet.ca Pacific Division Preview

All the excitement and playoff hopes that we and other Warrior fans have is not shared by everyone. Sportsnet.ca recently wrote their Pacific Division Preview. Guess where they have the Warriors finishing? Nope not ahead of the Lakers. Nope not ahead of the Clippers. They have the Warriors finishing dead last in the Pacific Division.

If you're a Golden State Warrior fan you hope that the final 20 games of last season were not a mirage as the Warriors finished with a 5-5 record that included an eight-game winning streak. Now the skeptic in me says that it's easy to play well when the pressure is off, but, the other side of the coin points to building something for the future. Golden State's hopes this year will rest squarely on the shoulders of Baron Davis. It seems like "B.D." was healthy at the end of last season putting up solid numbers and taking a positive leadership role. He has worked hard during the off season in a routine that included 7 a.m. workouts to keep his weight down and stay in shape.
Regardless of how well Davis plays, this team doesn't have enough to make the playoffs. The Warriors are hoping that they can get a contribution, particularly on the glass, from Ike Diogu and that the younger players continue to develop. They were in the bottom third of the league in points allowed, opponents' field-goal percentage and gave more rebounds than any other NBA team. With a young squad, veterans, like Troy Murphy and Jason Richardson, need to play at a high level for this team to be competitive.

(Note: the Warriors finished 15-5 in their final 20, not 5-5. It must have been a typo).
After reading this preview, I was actually upset over it. But it also made me realize that there are people out there who are predicting a typical Warriors season, one of futility. It's puzzling how they can write that the Warriors finished 15-5 with Baron, but regardless of how well he plays, they won't make the playoffs. I guess to them, going 15-5 was a fluke. Or maybe beating the Suns and Kings twice was a fluke. Or maybe that 8 game win streak in which they beat 3 Western Conference playoff teams was a fluke. Even if the Warriors don't make the playoffs, barring any injuries, they're a better team than the Clippers and Lakers.