Golden State Warriors vs. Cleveland Cavaliers NBA Finals Preview
Prediction
May 27, 2015; Oakland, CA, USA; Golden State Warriors players celebrate with the western conference championship trophy after defeating the Houston Rockets in game five of the Western Conference Finals of the NBA Playoffs at Oracle Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports
It all comes down to this. Two teams. One trophy. One champion.
When the Warriors entered the playoffs, their biggest threat to winning an NBA title was the San Antonio Spurs. The Cavaliers were probably a close second, mostly because of James’ impact and overall playoff experience paired alongside the dual threat of Irving and Love (when healthy). The Spurs were eliminated in the first round of the playoffs, and the Cavaliers are the only team that remain in the Warriors’ way of accomplishing their goal from the beginning of the season.
The 2014-15 season has been incredibly magical for the Warriors, and the magic will continue as the confetti falls and the Warriors are named NBA champions.
As mentioned before, the Warriors are a better overall team than the Cavs on many levels. They have arguably the best defense and offense in the NBA, they have the league’s MVP, they have a coach who has equipped the team with the perfect system and preaches perfect execution, they have one of the deepest rosters in the NBA, they play like a team, and they are mostly healthy (Thompson is currently dealing with concussion symptoms but has more than a week to get better).
The Cavs are still a legitimate title threat, and James should never be counted out, since he is that impactful and powerful (plus, he has plenty of NBA Finals experience). With Love out and Irving not a 100 percent though, they aren’t nearly as lethal as they could be.
With home court advantage on their side, the Warriors will prevail and win their first championship in 40 years. The 2014-15 season has been incredibly magical for the Warriors, and the magic will continue as the confetti falls and the Warriors are named NBA champions.
Prediction: Warriors in six