In a real world, nobody wants a Warriors vs Cavaliers NBA Finals part 4 anymore. Some say that, there’s already a winner even before it starts. Some say that, it will be Team USA vs. The Lone King. But in a perfect basketball world and if you’re a real basketball fan, this series is interesting more than any other championship matches.
Golden State, based on its season record of 58-24 and as the 2nd-place finisher in the Western Conference standings, the Warriors still have the clear advantage over the 4th-placer and Eastern Conference Champions, Cleveland Cavaliers in terms of fire power.
It’s basically 5 against 1 when this series unfolds. Kevin Durant, Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Draymond Green and Andre Iguodala against LeBron James on court. You might say that it’s no brainer if you pick the Dubs to win the Title.
But the caveat for the Warriors here is: They have everything to lose. Let me tell you why.
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We’ve identified the key players and Golden State’s starting line-up is virtually invincible. You have 2 former MVPs on that squad in Kevin Durant and Stephen Curry. Not only that they have won the prestigious individual awards but they were also both scoring champions. Both of them are offensively very lethal.
While the Cleveland Cavaliers only have LeBron James as the most consistent player on the team. This is the first time that the Akron Ohio native will be playing in the finals without the help of any superstar. Especially that Kevin Love is indefinitely out as per NBA’s concussion protocol. Yes, Andre Iguodala is also out for game 1 but his leg injury is way better than Kevin Love’s suspected concussion.
Talking about inconsistency. It’s been obvious that of all the inconsistent Cavaliers, JR Smith is the most inconsistent. It’s been proven also that Smith has been Cleveland’s barometer of success. If “Swish” shoots flawlessly from the outside, Cavs win. As simple as that. But the dilemma here is: JR Smith is not really playing well since the playoffs started along with his back court buddy, George Hill.
Another inconsistent Cavs player: Tristan Thompson. Well, my hats off to TT as he re-continued to play the way he used to be. Being the “Dennis Rodman” of this era where rebounds matter more than points. Sadly, TT can’t sustain his dominance in under the basket. There were plenty of times in the playoffs where LeBron recorded more boards than Thompson.
The rest of the Cleveland reserves? They looked inexperienced and nervous during the playoffs. Special shoutout to Jeff Green and Kyle Korver for stepping up during the do-or-die game 7 versus the young Boston Celtics. Green delivered from both the inside and outside while Korver intensified his defense on Jaylen Brown.
When it comes to the head coach, Steve Kerr wins it in all coaching aspects. Ty Lue is not the best coach in the league, it just so happened that he has the best player on his squad that makes him look good.
Aside from LeBron James, all of the Cavaliers are not finals-caliber players. But the scary part of the team is LeBron James himself. The 33-year old power forward is now in his 15th season but he hasn’t shown any signs of slowing down nor aging. He’s still a strong force to be reckoned with and 90% he will win this year’s MVP plum because of his stats.
James averages almost a triple-double in the playoffs and has displayed multiple game-saving moves and game winners. Truly, a man who can play all positions at the same time. To add up, James is too hard to guard on court. Remember when Marcus Morris said that he’s the only player aside from Kawhi Leonard who can guard LeBron James? Well, Morris just ended up riding on James’ back for the deuce and one at the dying seconds of game 7. Plus, James played the entire 48 minutes of that win-or-go-home game. That’s how strong LeBron James is.
These are the reasons why the Golden State Warriors have everything to lose. LeBron James, The King is in on their way to their 3rd title in 4 years. It will not be a walk in the park for the Warriors to be honest. I can see this series will go the distance, there will be another game 7 but it will favor the Warriors in a close game simply because they’re a complete package. If one or couple of players experience an off night, the rest can pick them up and shoot the lights out.
Only a miracle can save LeBron James and the Cavaliers. But let’s always remember, miracles do happen everyday. If LeBron will pull an upset, the Warriors will be put into a big shame. Imagine, a superstar jam packed team got beaten up by a power forward? Not only the Warriors will get embarrassed, there’s a big possibility also that LeBron James will end up the GOAT debate between him and Michael Jordan. The only player in NBA history who won a title without any help from a fellow superstar.
If the Cavaliers lose, it’s not a big deal actually because I’ve said that they have nothing to lose. But, if that happens, more likely they will lose LeBron James next season. Where will he land? In Houston as I can foresee. One of his best friends and one of the “Banana Boat Boys”, Chris Paul is reportedly recruiting James. Well, revenge is still in LeBron’s mind, it will be better for him to beat Golden State in their division and easily dominate the Finals. Anyways, he’s the only reason why the Eastern Conference looks tough.
Let’s see right after the Finals.
— Joey Boy Capos, The Summit Express
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| They meet again for the 4th time in 4 years! Based on our prediction, Dubs will win it 4-3 | Photo Credit: ibtimes.co.in |
Golden State, based on its season record of 58-24 and as the 2nd-place finisher in the Western Conference standings, the Warriors still have the clear advantage over the 4th-placer and Eastern Conference Champions, Cleveland Cavaliers in terms of fire power.
It’s basically 5 against 1 when this series unfolds. Kevin Durant, Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Draymond Green and Andre Iguodala against LeBron James on court. You might say that it’s no brainer if you pick the Dubs to win the Title.
But the caveat for the Warriors here is: They have everything to lose. Let me tell you why.
RELATED STORY
NBA Finals 2018: Cavs vs Warriors livestream, updates and results
We’ve identified the key players and Golden State’s starting line-up is virtually invincible. You have 2 former MVPs on that squad in Kevin Durant and Stephen Curry. Not only that they have won the prestigious individual awards but they were also both scoring champions. Both of them are offensively very lethal.
While the Cleveland Cavaliers only have LeBron James as the most consistent player on the team. This is the first time that the Akron Ohio native will be playing in the finals without the help of any superstar. Especially that Kevin Love is indefinitely out as per NBA’s concussion protocol. Yes, Andre Iguodala is also out for game 1 but his leg injury is way better than Kevin Love’s suspected concussion.
Talking about inconsistency. It’s been obvious that of all the inconsistent Cavaliers, JR Smith is the most inconsistent. It’s been proven also that Smith has been Cleveland’s barometer of success. If “Swish” shoots flawlessly from the outside, Cavs win. As simple as that. But the dilemma here is: JR Smith is not really playing well since the playoffs started along with his back court buddy, George Hill.
Another inconsistent Cavs player: Tristan Thompson. Well, my hats off to TT as he re-continued to play the way he used to be. Being the “Dennis Rodman” of this era where rebounds matter more than points. Sadly, TT can’t sustain his dominance in under the basket. There were plenty of times in the playoffs where LeBron recorded more boards than Thompson.
The rest of the Cleveland reserves? They looked inexperienced and nervous during the playoffs. Special shoutout to Jeff Green and Kyle Korver for stepping up during the do-or-die game 7 versus the young Boston Celtics. Green delivered from both the inside and outside while Korver intensified his defense on Jaylen Brown.
When it comes to the head coach, Steve Kerr wins it in all coaching aspects. Ty Lue is not the best coach in the league, it just so happened that he has the best player on his squad that makes him look good.
Aside from LeBron James, all of the Cavaliers are not finals-caliber players. But the scary part of the team is LeBron James himself. The 33-year old power forward is now in his 15th season but he hasn’t shown any signs of slowing down nor aging. He’s still a strong force to be reckoned with and 90% he will win this year’s MVP plum because of his stats.
James averages almost a triple-double in the playoffs and has displayed multiple game-saving moves and game winners. Truly, a man who can play all positions at the same time. To add up, James is too hard to guard on court. Remember when Marcus Morris said that he’s the only player aside from Kawhi Leonard who can guard LeBron James? Well, Morris just ended up riding on James’ back for the deuce and one at the dying seconds of game 7. Plus, James played the entire 48 minutes of that win-or-go-home game. That’s how strong LeBron James is.
These are the reasons why the Golden State Warriors have everything to lose. LeBron James, The King is in on their way to their 3rd title in 4 years. It will not be a walk in the park for the Warriors to be honest. I can see this series will go the distance, there will be another game 7 but it will favor the Warriors in a close game simply because they’re a complete package. If one or couple of players experience an off night, the rest can pick them up and shoot the lights out.
Only a miracle can save LeBron James and the Cavaliers. But let’s always remember, miracles do happen everyday. If LeBron will pull an upset, the Warriors will be put into a big shame. Imagine, a superstar jam packed team got beaten up by a power forward? Not only the Warriors will get embarrassed, there’s a big possibility also that LeBron James will end up the GOAT debate between him and Michael Jordan. The only player in NBA history who won a title without any help from a fellow superstar.
If the Cavaliers lose, it’s not a big deal actually because I’ve said that they have nothing to lose. But, if that happens, more likely they will lose LeBron James next season. Where will he land? In Houston as I can foresee. One of his best friends and one of the “Banana Boat Boys”, Chris Paul is reportedly recruiting James. Well, revenge is still in LeBron’s mind, it will be better for him to beat Golden State in their division and easily dominate the Finals. Anyways, he’s the only reason why the Eastern Conference looks tough.
Let’s see right after the Finals.
— Joey Boy Capos, The Summit Express
