After the Golden State Warriors swung a blockbuster midseason trade for frustrated six-time All-Star Miami Heat forward Jimmy Butler, they rocketed into fringe contender status, going 23-8 to close out the regular season and finishing the year with a 48-34 record and the Western Conference's No. 7 seed.

Steph Curry still remains one of the best five guards in the NBA at 37. He is coming off a year where he averaged 24.5 points, 4.4 rebounds, 6.0 assists and 1.1 steals per contest while shooting 44.8% from the field and 39.