Orlando Magic lol

[homie1975]

Yep and they choked that series away too when Jayson Tatum decided to not show up. I go to a ton of Warriors games, and went to Game 6 of that series in Boston. They were not even that great despite their championship mettle

And they nearly choked to Miami that year too in a weak East

Team is talented but they still seem to have chemistry issues of the past

I would be very surprised if they won the title

barring health, I see them getting to the Finals. breezing through the East.

Once in the finals vs the West's best, that is a different story.

I don't think they "choked" in the 2022 finals, I think they did not have defensive answers for Curry + Klay + Dray + Wiggy. Wiggy came up huge that year. It was GS's 4th ring in 8 years and they had 2 runner ups. I would not call it Boston choking. I vehemently disagree on that.

Boston if healthy makes the Finals this year and gets another shot at the jewelry but whoever comes out of the West will be formidable esp if Denver who we know is loaded for bear. But Denver needs to look out vs The Wolves right now.

 

[stormtrooper8]

barring health, I see them getting to the Finals. breezing through the East.

Once in the finals vs the West's best, that is a different story.

I don't think they "choked" in the 2022 finals, I think they did not have defensive answers for Curry + Klay + Dray + Wiggy. Wiggy came up huge that year. It was GS's 4th ring in 8 years and they had 2 runner ups. I would not call it Boston choking. I vehemently disagree on that.

Boston if healthy makes the Finals this year and gets another shot at the jewelry but whoever comes out of the West will be formidable esp if Denver who we know is loaded for bear. But Denver needs to look out vs The Wolves right now.

Yeah they’ll breeze through the East because it’s a dogshit conference.

But it looks like they have similar issues to years past.

Jury is still out on Porzingis.

Not having Marcus Smart lose you games is definitely a plus but Jrue has some bad playoff chokes under his belt too and he isn’t a spring chicken

Tatum/Brown still got their chemistry issues.

 

[stormtrooper8]

I don't think they "choked" in the 2022 finals, I think they did not have defensive answers for Curry + Klay + Dray + Wiggy. Wiggy came up huge that year. It was GS's 4th ring in 8 years and they had 2 runner ups. I would not call it Boston choking. I vehemently disagree on that.

They were universally regarded as the better team entering that series . Basically a coin flip despite not having home court

Tatum and Brown were outplayed by Wiggins that series. That’s awful

Warriors were nowhere near as good as their three title runs. Hell Jordan Poole was anchoring their offense in some of the playoff games

 

[stormtrooper8]

They had a 2-1 lead with a home Game 4

Curry didn’t make a 3 in Game 5 and still lost

Then boat raced in Game 6!

 

[homie1975]

They were universally regarded as the better team entering that series . Basically a coin flip despite not having home court

Tatum and Brown were outplayed by Wiggins that series. That’s awful

Warriors were nowhere near as good as their three title runs. Hell Jordan Poole was anchoring their offense in some of the playoff games

GS opened around -155 to win the series and closed at around -160.
they had the home court.
they were expected to win.
they did.

I can tell you for a fact i picked GS to win that series in 6 games before i started. I was hoping for 7 game series and was rooting for BOS but it was pretty obvious to me during the entire WC playoffs in 2022 that the Dubs were out for blood after missing the 'offs in 2020 and 2021.

they ran out Denver in 5, memphis in 6, and Dalllas in 5. They were on fire.

they were the best team by a mile those playoffs.

and then, like a boxer does, they immediately got old and in '23 and '24 they were done.

anyhow, barring major injury to someone like Tatum or Jaylen, BOS will smash cleveland next round and will get by the Knicks (who will get by Indy).

BOSTON wins the East.

The only team that can beat them in a 7 game series from the West is Denver and those guys may not even get by Minnesota.

Styles make fights in boxing and styles + matchups make games in basketball.

Only Denver can match up with Boston.

No one else can.

current odds to win the title:

Celtics +125
Nuggets +260

then there are the rest, all pretenders.

 

[Jrgum3]

Aside from Paolo everybody else on the Magic played a terrible game. To be fair neither them or the Cavs stand much of a chance against Boston but I think if the Magic add a couple of productive veterans they could be a contender in the East. For a team that was getting their first exposure to the playoffs I think they did better than expected just to get the series to 7 games.

 

[stormtrooper8]

GS opened around -155 to win the series and closed at around -160.
they had the home court.
they were expected to win.
they did.

I can tell you for a fact i picked GS to win that series in 6 games before i started. I was hoping for 7 game series and was rooting for BOS but it was pretty obvious to me during the entire WC playoffs in 2022 that the Dubs were out for blood after missing the 'offs in 2020 and 2021.

they ran out Denver in 5, memphis in 6, and Dalllas in 5. They were on fire.

they were the best team by a mile those playoffs.

You should go back and read analysis pre series. Boston absolutely was picked more

Warriors were the 3 seed. They fizzled at the end of the year

Denver had no Murray or MPJ.

Memphis no Ja.

And Dallas was just bad

Ironically I did pick Golden State to win it all before the playoffs started. But they were not some juggernaut. They won the title a year where there were no great teams

 

[thefix]

For a resident NBA expert why didn't you bet the series?

 

[homie1975]

You should go back and read analysis pre series. Boston absolutely was picked more

Warriors were the 3 seed. They fizzled at the end of the year

Denver had no Murray or MPJ.

Memphis no Ja.

And Dallas was just bad

Ironically I did pick Golden State to win it all before the playoffs started. But they were not some juggernaut. They won the title a year where there were no great teams

i don't care who was picked more by idiot NBA "analysts" and idiot betters LOL.

for betting value, people may have seen Bos + as having better value.

who was favored? GS
who had home court advantage due to better regular season record? GS
3 seed in the West had home court advantage over the East team.
you know basketball - historically the top teams in the West are better than the East we know this.

Lakers, Spurs, Golden State, the last 3 dynasties were all West. no repeat team in the East the last 35 years outside Bulls two time three peat and the Heat 12-13. That is it.

The West is the Best.

GS with home court and the 4 star players that year were absolutely my pick to win the Finals and i did not even flinch about it. I just wanted a game 7 but steph and klay and dray and wiggy were not to be denied. Wiggy played lights out all of 2022 playoffs.

again, i do not give two shits who picked what.

in 2008 almost everyone picked LAL and kobe over Boston and KG/Paul/Ray.

I took Celtics +190 for a huge wager and laughed to the bank and back.

please do not ever quote the masses who are asses and the nba pundits with me again.

LOL

 

[stormtrooper8]

GS with home court and the 4 star players that year were absolutely my pick to win the Finals and i did not even flinch about it.

4 star players? That’s a little bit of a stretch

That Warriors team was a good team, but they were nothing remotely close to the 2015-19 teams

The team that lost to the Cavs in 2016 would’ve murdered the 2022 Warriors

The team that was injured in 2019 would’ve swept the 2022 Warriors if healthy

I’m not just talking about pundits on ESPN. I think most credible analysts thought Boston was better — they probably had more talent/higher ceiling at that point