What does a team who set the single season wins record and came within one game of winning back to back NBA titles do to get better in the offseason? Add arguably the best player in the NBA, Kevin Durant, that’s what.
Durant, the 2013-14 MVP during his time with the Oklahoma City Thunder, joined two time MVP Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green to form what some were calling the best NBA roster ever assembled. Before the season even started, many were calling it over by predicting the Warriors would take home the title once more.
After the Durant signing, Las Vegas Sportsbooks gave the Warriors an unreal 2/3 odds to win the championship, and as of today, VegasInsider.com gives them a 4/9 chance, with the Cleveland Cavaliers the next best at 16/5. But despite what the odds may tell you, the Warriors have not locked up the championship yet.
While the defending champion Cavs aren’t to be counted out, the Warriors biggest challenge may be to make it out of the wild Western Conference alive. The San Antonio Spurs, Houston Rockets, Los Angeles Clippers and Utah Jazz all won at least 51 games out of the west, while the Boston Celtics and Toronto Raptors joined the Cavs in winning at least 50 in the east.
Cleveland, led by LeBron James and Kyrie Irving, fell behind the Celtics in the race for the number one seed in the east. But the Celtics have fallen behind the eight seed Chicago Bulls 2-0 in the wake of star point guard Isaiah Thomas’ sister Chyna’s death the day before the series started.
Cleveland is up 2-0 on Paul George and the Indiana Pacers, while the Raptors are tied 1-1 with the Milwaukee Bucks, and John Wall and the Washington Wizards are up 2-0 on the Atlanta Hawks.
Out west, the Warriors are up 2-0 on Damian Lillard and the Portland Trail Blazers, however Durant missed game two with a calf strain suffered in game one, but the Warriors still beat Portland by more than 20 points last night. Kawhi Leonard and the Spurs have taken a 2-0 lead on the Memphis Grizzlies, possibly due to some questionable officiating, according the Memphis coach David Fizdale.
James Harden and the Rockets have a 2-0 lead on fellow MVP candidate Russell Westbrook and the Oklahoma City Thunder, while Chris Paul and the Clippers have tied the series 1-1 against Utah.
While this may be the year that the Cavs are vulnerable, the Western Conference is just as strong as ever, and they’re ready to give the Warriors a run for their money. While the Warriors may seem like the best team, injuries can strike at any time, and at some point, the threes could stop falling at any time for Steph and Klay. This year’s NBA Playoffs have just begun, but we’re definitely in for a wild ride.
Predictions: The Cavaliers will bring another title to back to The Land, defeating the Spurs 4-2. Kyrie Irving will win Finals MVP, while Russell Westbrook is named league MVP and thanks Kevin Durant in his acceptance speech.
