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3 West teams that can match up with the Warriors

Kyle Terada / USA TODAY Sports

After witnessing Wednesday night's blowout victory over the Los Angeles Clippers, it's not difficult to see why the Golden State Warriors are heavy favorites to hoist the Larry O'Brien Trophy in June.

However, while the majority of teams in the conference likely wouldn't stand a chance against the Warriors in a seven-game series, there are still a few who could give them a run for their money.

Here are three Western Conference teams that can match up with the mighty Warriors:

Utah Jazz

Despite ranking second in the league in man games lost to injury and first in lost VORP (0.796), the Jazz remain near the top of the Western standings with a respectable 14-10 record.

While their scoring has been a pleasant surprise early on in the year, Utah's bread and butter remains its play on the other side of the ball.

With defensive stalwart Rudy Gobert manning the middle and Derrick Favors serving as one of the league's top shot-blocking power forwards, Utah's rim protection could cause troubles for a Warriors team that relies more on paint scoring than the average fan may realize.

George Hill won't be able to completely shut down Steph Curry, but as he showed in last year's playoffs, he's at least capable of making things difficult for the opposing team's star point guard (see Lowry, Kyle).

Most importantly, the Jazz appear to have the length and athleticism required to slow down the Warriors' Death Lineup, with Rodney Hood, Dante Exum, and Gordon Hayward all more than capable of holding their own on the wing.

If the Jazz are fully healthy by the time April rolls around, the Warriors could be in for a long series.

Houston Rockets

Make no mistake, the Rockets have virtually no shot at actually stopping the Warriors, but they could find a way to outscore them.

Should Houston elect to go small, offensive mastermind Mike D'Antoni could trot out a lineup featuring five quality 3-point shooters in James Harden, Patrick Beverley, Eric Gordon, Trevor Ariza, and Ryan Anderson. While far from intimidating on the defensive end, this unit could still inflict some damage by turning the series into a shootout.

The Rockets have already shown once this season that they're capable of keeping up with Golden State's 3-point attack, dropping 14 long bombs to the Warriors' 12 in last week's 132-127 Rockets victory.

As previously mentioned, the Rockets aren't going to scare the Warriors on the other side of the ball, but they could make things a little more interesting if general manager Daryl Morey chooses to acquire another rim protector at this year's deadline.

It remains highly unlikely that Houston could actually win a series, but if nothing else, the Rockets could leave Golden State tired and worn out for their next opponent.

San Antonio Spurs

The Spurs may appear too old and slow for the "Showtime" Warriors, but never underestimate the power of Gregg Popovich.

San Antonio showed just how dangerous a matchup it can present on opening night, when the Spurs spoiled Kevin Durant's Bay Area debut by blowing out the Warriors by 29 points.

Popovich has found success in the past against Golden State's small-ball lineup by playing two bigs up front, giving San Antonio a considerable advantage in both rebounds and second-chance point opportunities.

While their defense took a hit after losing Tim Duncan to retirement this summer, in the past, the Spurs have shown flashes of an ability to stop Curry by throwing lengthy wings Danny Green and Kawhi Leonard his way.

If San Antonio can control the pace and turn the series into a defensive battle, the Spurs could actually stand a chance against Steve Kerr's Warriors.

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