2023 NBA Playoffs Crystal Ball: Warriors Won’t Repeat As Champs
No matter how this NBA season ends I guarantee you one thing: The Warriors will not win back-to-back titles.
Why?
Because I seriously think the Kings are going to knock them out in the first round.
If that doesn’t happen, they would need to beat either the Lakers or Grizzlies (Memphis on the road, but still think it’s gonna be the Lakers).
After that, it would be a series against the Suns or Clippers and then eventually, possibly, the Nuggets – and as a six seed, all of those series would be on the road.
Golden State’s record away from their home base at the Chase Center this year was a jaw-dropping 11-30.
Clearly, much of the time this season, they’ve left their hearts in San Francisco.
Getting out of the West will be full of physical battles for the rest of April. I’ll bet the month ends with three Game 7s on Sunday, April 30 (Knicks-Cavs, Warriors-Kings and Lakers-Grizzlies).
Then, even if the Dubs accomplish THAT – winning the West – they would need to beat either the Celtics or Bucks. Milwaukee has home-court advantage throughout the playoffs.
No way Golden State is repeating.
Nope.
That’s too difficult of a challenge.
Vegas books and bettors sort of disagree as witnessed by the odds I’m about to show you, courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook, one of our favorite betting sites out there.
FanDuel’s NBA Finals Odds
Milwaukee Bucks +240
Boston Celtics +350
Phoenix Suns +480
Golden State Warriors +850
Denver Nuggets +1000
Philadelphia 76ers +1000
Memphis Grizzlies +1800
Los Angeles Lakers +2100
Cleveland Cavaliers +4600
Los Angeles Clippers +5000
Sacramento Kings +5000
New York Knicks +10000
Atlanta Hawks +18000
Miami Heat +24000
Minnesota Timberwolves +37000
Brooklyn Nets +37000
Oklahoma City Thunder +49000
Chicago Bulls +49000
I’m stunned that Golden State is the fourth-best betting favorite.
That’s simply perception and the team’s recent history.
I like the next four choices (Nuggets, 76ers, Grizzlies and Lakers) all better than the Warriors to win it all.
Andrew Wiggins, per ESPN’s report, will be back in action, although how healthy and productive he’ll be during this series is uncertain
But Golden State head coach Steve Kerr seems confident.
"Andrew looks great, feeling good and is ready to go," Kerr said Thursday afternoon (April 13).
Wiggins hasn't played since Feb. 13, missing the Warriors' final 25 games of the regular season because of a family matter. He was away from the team for two months before returning for the last week but sat out of the Warriors' last three games as he worked on his conditioning.
Meanwhile, there’s still a bit of lingering tension between Jordan Poole and an unmentioned Draymond Green, who punched Poole in practice last October.
“Controlled chaos?”
That’s not what you want to hear from a player, particularly as the postseason begins.
So huddle up and listen right now.
The "Warriors, (will) come out to play-yay."
Proud champions with Curry, Klay, Green, Poole and Wiggins.
It’s not going to be enough.
This simply is not their year.
