In case you didn't know, one of the biggest events in sports is taking place right now with the NBA finals. The series as I currently write this piece is 3-1 Golden State. A lot of folks remember last year when Golden State was in a similar spot up 3-1, but imploded. Well this year, I expect for it to be a lot different with the Warriors winning Game 5 and becoming NBA champions once again. There are five reasons to back this claim up.
1. Offense
The Golden State have the best offense in the NBA. They rank 1st in Points per game at 116.4, offensive efficiency at 1.123, assists per game at 30.1, field goal percentage at 49.5%, and winning percentage at 84.5%. Those are some pretty important categories to be on top of when trying to be an elite team.
2. MVPs
Golden State has two former MVPs on their roster in Kevin Durant and Stephen Curry. Both of these players impacts are crucial in the way this offense is able to produce points. They're able to dominate games, but also stay efficient with their play style. In fact, Durant and Curry are the only players who are not Centers to be ranked in the top five in True Shooting Percentage. Durant (3rd) comes in at 65.5%, while Curry (5th) follows closely behind at 63.1%.
3. Injuries/Player Availability
Last year in the finals, the Warriors obviously didn't have Kevin Durant, but there were also some other key things that occurred. The most important thing being health. The Warriors most important player, Stephen Curry, was banged up all last postseason. However when it came to the Finals, it's seems the world forget he had been battling a sprained MCL, swollen elbow, a sprained foot, and a sprained ankle. The Warriors also lost their second most important player, Draymond Green, to suspension in Game 5. Green was the primary defender on Lebron James. Without Green's defense, Lebron was able to get loose for 41 points, 16 rebounds, 7 assists, 3 blocks, and 3 steals. Lebron was able to keep his momentum and led the Cavaliers to the NBA championship.
With these factors in mind, it's apparent that the Warriors are near locks to win the Championship this year. They're healthy, the offense is clicking, and they have two MVPs in the fold for this round of the NBA finals. I predict GS in 5.
Source(s): teamrankings.com, basketball-reference.com