Two teams that will compete for the NBA championship in 2023 will be the Golden State Warriors and Los Angeles Clippers. The Golden State Warriors won the NBA championship in the 2022 season. The Warriors played the finest basketball, led by their top player Stephen Curry and the ever-consistent duo of Klay Thompson and Draymond Green. Their system is simply amazing, thanks in large part to Steve Kerr’s superb coaching and the players’ abilities when it comes to spacing the floor and playing modern NBA defense. Even when the Warriors were not as great as Boston on defense, they were able to get timely stops when it mattered most thanks to their experience.
- Starting Lineups
- Bench
- Steve Kerr vs. Tyronn Lue
- Golden State Warriors Advantage
- Los Angeles Clippers Advantage
- The West Will Come Down To The Warriors And Clippers
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Looking ahead to 2023, the Warriors are expected to be back in the mix yet again with their star trio returning as the likes of Andrew Wiggins and Jordan Poole are looking to follow up their career years. Obviously, Golden State is a team nobody wants to come up against in the playoffs because of their elite shooting and championship experience. They did lose key pieces in Gary Payton II and Otto Porter Jr, but they added Donte DiVincenzo, and youngsters, including James Wiseman and Jonathan Kuminga, could have bigger roles.
Meanwhile, the Clippers are awaiting the return of their superstars Kawhi Leonard and Paul George, and have added some roster depth with John Wall coming on board. Overall, their roster looks very intimidating because they have a ton of players that can play on both ends of the court at a high level. Not to mention, head coach Tyronn Lue is one of the best tacticians in the NBA right now.
Last season, the Clippers did very well considering Leonard did not play a single game and George only played 31 games before getting shut down. The season prior, Los Angeles Clippers made the Western Conference Finals without Leonard thanks to elite performances by George and other role players, including Reggie Jackson. But since then, they have brought in Norman Powell, Robert Covington, and John Wall, who are all good enough to start games for the Clippers. The talent on the Clippers roster right now is at an all-time high.
Nonetheless, the Clippers and Warriors are in the quest for the 2023 NBA title right now, as it is time to discover the team comparison in every major facet. By looking at the starting lineups, benches, coaches, and key advantages, we can get an indication of which team will perform better during the 2022-23 NBA season.
Starting Lineups
Golden State Warriors: Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Andrew Wiggins, Draymond Green, Kevon Looney
Los Angeles Clippers: John Wall, Norman Powell, Paul George, Kawhi Leonard, Ivica Zubac
The Warriors starters are still championship-ready with their starting lineup remaining intact. Curry is the best point guard and best shooter in the NBA, and he is still in his prime and playing with a ton of confidence following his first Finals MVP win last season. Alongside him is Klay Thompson, a motivated two-way star who is still an elite marksman. He has yet to discover his All-Star form from a few years ago, but he is still a deadly sidekick. Andrew Wiggins returns on the wing and he was certainly exceptional for the Warriors as he started showing glimpses of what made him a No. 1 overall selection with his defense and even his rebounding ability.
Even though Draymond Green is past his prime, the Warriors squad cannot function without him because of his contributions as a playmaker, defender, and vocal leader. Without Draymond Green on the court, the Warriors lack the toughness and defensive resistance required for them to compete at a high level. Kevon Looney has overcome his lack of offensive ability to become an excellent system player who plays hard and defends with effort and hustle. This starting lineup is championship proven, and that should give the Warriors an advantage heading into the 2022-23 NBA season. But it is hard to place them over the Clippers because their talent right now is just as good.
On paper, the Los Angeles Clippers starters will be competing with the Golden State Warriors and every other top team in the NBA. Kawhi Leonard and Paul George are both multiple-time All-Stars and exceptional two-way players. Norman Powell is another solid two-way player, and the addition of John Wall adds a ton of competition for the point guard spot. Ivica Zubac, while not a star, is an active big man who can score inside and rebound. But no doubt, the Clippers are relying greatly on their two superstar players.
Leonard is a two-time Finals MVP and two-time NBA champion with two different teams and averaged 24.8 PPG and 6.5 RPG the last time we saw him on the NBA floor. The Claw is tremendous on defense, has proven to be a player who can lead a team to a championship, and seems to be getting better with age. At 31 years old, he is right in his prime. Paul George is 32 years old and averaged 24.3 PPG through 31 games last year. As an All-Star scorer and perimeter defender, George is the perfect sidekick to Kawhi in Los Angeles. Overall, no team has an advantage because of star power and role-player depth.
Advantage: Even
Bench
Golden State Warriors: Jordan Poole, Donte DiVincenzo, Jonathan Kuminga, Moses Moody, JaMychal Green, James Wiseman
Los Angeles Clippers: Reggie Jackson, Terance Mann, Luke Kennard, Nicolas Batum, Marcus Morris, Robert Covington
Without a doubt, the Warriors’ bench players are top-notch. Jordan Poole, who averaged 18.5 PPG while shooting 44.8% from the field and 36.4% from three, is one example. Of course, he excelled at the free-throw line, where he made 92.5% of his attempts, leading the NBA. For a championship team, having a guy who can average 20 PPG during the regular season is simply priceless. He will play a significant role in the postseason as well, as he did in the previous season, averaging 17.0 PPG.
Because he is a guard who can play both ends of the floor and has strong playmaking abilities, Donte DiVincenzo can prove to be a great pick up. JaMychal Green, a seasoned big man, is a solid contemporary forward who can spread the floor and play strong defense, thus he was another wise acquisition by the Warriors organization. Moses Moody, James Wiseman, and Jonathan Kuminga are all young players with a lot of potential; maybe, one of them will start showing off their skills on both sides of the floor. The Warriors would have had the advantage if Wiseman could have started playing, but we don’t know how the big man will do in extended periods of action.
The Los Angeles Clippers bench looks very strong and deep heading into next season. Reggie Jackson very well could start, but he is an excellent backup to a former All-Star in John Wall. Jackson was critical in the Clippers’ Western Conference run in 2021, and his energy and offensive ability is infectious. No doubt, the point guard is becoming an invaluable presence for Los Angeles. Next to him are two solid offensive players in Terance Mann and Luke Kennard. Mann hustles on defense and can make outside shots while Kennard can be an elite marksman as he shot 44.9% from three last season, rather quietly.
Nicolas Batum, Marcus Morris, and Robert Covington are all solid forwards who can compete in small-ball situations and space the floor. Batum, Morris, and Covington have all been two-way players over their careers and that will continue into the 2023 season. Covington has proven to be an excellent pickup for the Clippers because he can shoot the ball very well when open and can defend both inside the paint and on the perimeter. Los Angeles’ bench is looking very solid because the role players can play off the stars. But do they have an advantage over the Jordan Poole-led bench of Golden State? The answer is yes. The Clippers’ bench is proven while the Warriors just have Jordan Poole healthy and in his prime right now.
Advantage: Los Angeles Clippers
Steve Kerr vs. Tyronn Lue
As a head coach at the moment, Steve Kerr is at the top of the mountain. Kerr is a master strategist who understands how to motivate Golden State on both ends of the court. Obviously, that led to four NBA championships with Curry, Klay, and Draymond at the core of it. NBA basketball has entered a new age thanks to Kerr’s offensive ideologies, and Golden State excels in it better than anyone else. As a result, it is clear that the Warriors have an advantage in terms of coaching because they just came off the 2022 NBA championship, and once again, Kerr and the coaching staff were simply excellent in their rotations.
Tyronn Lue has been considered a master tactician with excellent play ideas and some old-school thoughts to his rotations. Lue was a solid role player during his time as an NBA player, but he has been spectacular as a head coach. Remember, he coached LeBron James and Kyrie Irving to the championship in 2016 against the Golden State Warriors. The Clippers will go as far as the stars lead them on the court and Ty Lue leads them from the bench. The star players seem to get along well with Lue, and that bodes well for their future. But until the Clippers can actually make the NBA Finals, it is hard to go against Steve Kerr who has amassed 4 rings as a head coach.
Advantage: Golden State Warriors
Golden State Warriors Advantage
With Stephen Curry as their finest point guard, the Golden State Warriors are riding high after winning the NBA title in 2022. Of course, premier shooters Andrew Wiggins, Klay Thompson, and Jordan Poole want to build on their successful campaign from the previous year. Most of the important players will be in their primes next year, which is good news for their chances of winning the championship.
The Warriors may currently be the league’s best offensive team based on what we witnessed last season. They pioneered the three-point shooting era and excel at it above all others. Every day of the week, the Warriors will outshoot the opponent, giving them a huge advantage in terms of perimeter offense. They also added some wonderful pieces to surround their core so that players like Jonathan Kuminga, Moses Moody, and hopefully James Wiseman can all start displaying glimpses of their outstanding potential.
Los Angeles Clippers Advantage
The Los Angeles Clippers have something the Warriors do not have: two superstar two-way players in their primes. Sure, Leonard will play his first game in over a year next season, but he is simply the most talented two-way basketball player alive behind Giannis Antetokounmpo. He has proven he can be the primary scorer on the floor and is a lockdown defensive player. Leonard, at 6’7” and 225 lbs, is also dominant when it comes to using his raw size and strength as a forward.
If Paul George can also return to All-NBA form, he can be a massive factor alongside Kawhi. The Warriors, or any team for that matter, have players as skilled and dominant on both ends of the floor like the Clippers have with Leonard and George. Not to mention, the Clippers have even more two-way players, including Norman Powell, Robert Covington, and Ivica Zubac. Adding in John Wall and Reggie Jackson, the Clippers have a lot of scoring and a lot of defense.
The West Will Come Down To The Warriors And Clippers
Overall, the Western Conference will come down to the Golden State Warriors and Los Angeles Clippers. The Warriors are reigning NBA champions, but there could be some hangover from last year and there could be some trouble in the works when it comes to players wanting big contracts. There are also a ton of questions for the Warriors, mainly with what they aim to do with their future. Draymond Green will be punished for his behavior against youngster Jordan Poole, and that necessarily isn’t the best idea when Poole is a better player right now. Will Draymond be a long-term player who signs another big contract? Or will Poole be preferred over him?
Those are big questions that could linger on their season. Not to mention, Klay Thompson has been inconsistent with his shooting, and there are doubts about his ability next year. That goes for James Wiseman as well, the former No. 2 overall pick who missed the entire 2022 season and only played 39 games in the 2021 season. But on paper, the Warriors are just as good as the Clippers because of their elite coaching staff and championship ready squad. Again, the NBA is not played on paper because external factors could be influencing it.
Meanwhile, the Clippers have a lot to look forward to with Kawhi Leonard and Paul George returning to the floor with John Wall looking to prove himself after years of near inactivity. As a result, the Clippers do not have much pressure because they are finally healthy and just want to play basketball. They also made key additions with Norman Powell and Robert Covington, two players who can shoot and play defense at a high level. Their bench is also very deep because every player can come in and shoot or defend with energy.
Which team has the advantage? According to this analysis, the score is 1 – 1, although that is very negligible. It can swing either way if injuries or external factors come into play, and that means there shouldn’t be too much to separate them. But the Warriors’ situation with Draymond Green getting in Jordan Poole’s face is not a great look, because both players are looking for their long-term future in Golden State. It seems, as of right now, Andrew Wiggins deserves long-term money because his behavior and consistency have been commendable.
If one had to guess, the Clippers might edge the Golden State Warriors over 7 games in a pivotal Game 7 if it came down to it. But others might argue that Golden State will have the edge because they proved it last year against the Boston Celtics. The Clippers have a lot of solid two-way players, but the Warriors have a proven championship core that just won the title. Out of respect for them, they even the score, which means the Western Conference could come down to the two most talented teams in the conference.
