AND then there were two.
From the West, the defending champions Golden State Warriors. From the East, a surprise finalist, the Toronto Raptors.
Of course, the Warriors are the heavy favorites, but what chance would you give the Raptors to pull off an upset?
It’s practically a no-brainer to anoint the Warriors as the betting favorite. Despite Kevin Durant being out for the Western Conference Finals, the Warriors still swept the Portland Trail Blazers in that series.
The Raptors, on the other hand, had to overcome a tepid 0-2 start to win the next four games against the Milwaukee Bucks in the Eastern Conference showdown.
Prior to that, they had a tough-grueling Game 7 series against the Philadelphia 76ers. Raptors managed to clinch victory, thanks to a game-winning lucky shot from Kawhi Leonard.
DURANT. Kevin Durant has been ruled out officially for Game 1 on Friday and that will certainly benefit the host Raptors.
I do not subscribe at all to this false narrative being peddled about the Warriors being better without Durant.
This guy is the back-to-back NBA Finals MVP. That means, no Durant, probably no back-to-back championships.
While the Warriors offense seems to be on a more even keel when he is not around, that only means the team is resorting to a different style of egalitarian play to maximize their assets.
That doesn’t necessarily mean it’s better. One series against the Trail Blazers does not prove that. Two NBA championships with Durant on the other hand establishes that they are the best team on the planet with him around.
It could be just be a matchup thing against the Blazers who are not known for their defensive rotations and rely too much on their backcourt duo of CJ McCollum and Damian Lillard.
Against the Raptors and the resurgence of Kawhi Leonard who is the straw that stirs the drink for the Raptors, they will need somebody like Durant to stare down “The Claw” and make the big plays.
Warriors in 7 games.
LAST ROUND. It’s on little cherub Bobby Velasco who recently turned 5. Cheers!