Golden State losing its luster?
Credit to Author: MICHAEL ANGELO B. ASIS| Date: Fri, 15 Mar 2019 16:17:02 +0000
Even if you’re the two-time defending champions, the adage “You can’t win it all” still applies. However, there are losses that sting and Steph Curry and the Golden State Warriors have started to look vulnerable.
This is not the first time the Dubs have been under intense scrutiny. Earlier in the season, Draymond Green and Kevin Durant had an infamous tiff, with a suspension being handed to the former for raising up the taboo issue of Durant’s upcoming free agency.
As most expected, the team from the Bay was available to channel their inner Mark Twain and wagged off the doomsday prophecies as “greatly exaggerated” when they regained the top spot in the Western Conference.
However, they fell to the cellar-dwelling and went on a 4-5 post All Star Game record which included a 33-point shellacking from the Boston Celtics and losses to the Magic and Heat. This begs the question: Are the Golden State Warriors no longer the favorites to win their third straight title? Let’s take a closer look.
Vegas odds still favor the Dubs
The latest Warriors’ odds of winning the NBA Championship according to Las Vegas is still pegged at 1/2 or 67 percent. Second place fell on the league-leading Milwaukee Bucks, at 8/1 or just 11 percent. The closest Western Conference team is the Houston Rockets, pegged at 15/1 or just 6.25 percent. To answer the question of the Dubs vs. the field, it’s still far and away the Warriors.
Odds are not a guarantee, however, and there are already doubts arising.
Some experts have been swayed
The Warriors winning the championship has been a foregone conclusion at the start of the season, and for some teams, this season was more of preparation for the next era (see LA Lakers). Now, some of the talking heads have changed their minds, including former coach Stan Van Gundy.
SVG referred to Draymond Green, a catalyst of the Warriors’ defense, who admitted that they “haven’t defended all year.” Also, SVG believes that the Eastern Conference champion would win it all, with the Milwaukee Bucks being the pre-emptive favorite.
The verdict
While the State of the Warriors is not as “golden” anymore, majority of the analysts still wind up with the conclusion that barring a catastrophic injury to their four major players, the Warriors will still win this year’s championship.
The rumors of the turmoil in the Warriors’ camp have been overstated. It’s a long season and it’s normal to have peaks and valleys. True champions still find a way to work together to win the title despite their differences. Best example was the Kobe-Shaq Lakers in 2002.
The Warriors were never as conflicted as that superstar duo and are likely to clean up their act come playoff time. They have a sense of urgency to win their title before the possible departure of Kevin Durant. Also, the team is transferring to the Chase Center next season. It would be memorable to win a title at Oracle Arena before they bid farewell.
Is there anyone else?
The Warriors are not going to hand the championship on a silver platter. Is there any team capable of taking it away from them?
The Milwaukee Bucks have MVP favorite and arguably the league’s next best player in Giannis Antetokounmpo but are they ready? The Boston Celtics had lofty expectations with Kyrie Irving, but they have suffered from poor chemistry and are not even a lock to get out of the East. The Raptors and Sixers added new pieces, but they would not develop the chemistry for a drawn out playoff series with the Dubs.
The Houston Rockets took the Warriors to the brim last season. Now, Harden has an MVP season and CP3 has recovered. But do they still have perimeter defenders like Trevor Ariza and Luc Mbah a Moute?
In their latest game, the Warriors beat the Rockets WITHOUT Kevin Durant. DeMarcus Cousins, their newest addition, led with 27 points. When the Warriors flex their muscle, they can beat anyone. They know how to raise their game come playoff time—and now there will be no LeBron James to try and stop their rampage.
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