What is your NBA Finals pick?
Osborne: Golden State Warriors over the Toronto Raptors in 6.
Knitzer: Warriors over the Celtics, in 5 or 6 games.
Salveson: Bucks over Warriors in seven. The Warriors just seem to remind me of the Lakers team with Karl Malone, Gary Payton, Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal that lost to the Pistons in the NBA Finals. Budenholzer has made the Bucks a spectacular two-way team with a leader in Giannis that is hungry enough to out-hustle the overconfident Warriors. I could see the entire NBA landscape shifting from this one series if this happens and Giannis taking the throne as the best basketball player in the world.
Griffin: The Golden State Warriors over the Toronto Raptors in six. Let’s be honest, the Warriors B+ game is good enough to win them a championship in seven. I believe this will be the year that Steph Curry finally take home the Finals the MVP.
My biggest concern is the health of Kawhi Leonard. He has missed/ rested for 22 games this season. If he stays healthy, the Raptors should come out of the East after winning a very tough series against the Celtics.
Kirshblum: Trust me, I want more than anything for someone to dethrone the Warriors, but I just can’t envision it. Curry’s upgraded eyesight, stars aplenty, and Draymond Green shooting over 37% from 3-point range since the all-star break (?!) will be too much for anyone to handle.
The Raptors are loaded with talent; Leonard is a top 5 player, Siakam is likely to win most improved player of the year and is becoming a star in his own right, Gasol has seamlessly transitioned into another defensive stalwart and playmaking big, and yet there’s no hope. Enjoy it or don’t, but hopefully this will be the last we see of the currently immortal Golden State Warriors.
Freedman: Golden State over Milwaukee in 6 games.
The two best teams in the league, two of the most well-coached teams in the league, featuring four of the 20-best players on the planet. I want to pick the Bucks in an upset here – I really do – but I can’t bet against the Warriors. Let’s face it: they’re really about to win ANOTHER one.
Balaraman: It looks like they won’t be together next year, but I can’t see anyone toppling the Golden State Warriors this year. They just have too many weapons. Led by Kawhi Leonard and Pascal Siakam, I think the Raptors come out of the East. In addition to one of the league’s best starting fives, the Raptors also will have no issues going 9-10 guys deep in the playoffs. They’re also probably best equipped to guard the Warriors with their length and versatility on the defensive side of the ball, but Golden State just has a little too much talent this year. Warriors in six.
McNeil: The Golden State Warriors will defeat the Milwaukee Bucks in five games. Golden States’s star power and championship experience will be too much for any other team to handle, And will lead them to their fourth championship in the Steve Kerr era.