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Warriors are the Odds Pick to Beat the Cavs

Rhonda Adams - Warriors are the Odds Pick to Beat the CavsRhonda AdamsBasketball prognosticators are already signing the demise of the mighty Cleveland Cavaliers. The Warriors have too many weapons. They’re too fresh, too hot, too tough on D and too strong beyond the arc to be beaten. At least that’s the narrative. Some are even making the bold prediction that LeBron James’ Cavs won’t make it four games against Durant and Curry.Now, that particular prediction might be a bit too presumptive, but after the first game of the series, Warriors fans are daring to dream of a sweep. Golden State absolutely dominated Cleveland on both sides of the court, turning rebounds into points time and again. Even shooting an abysmal 40ish percent from the field didn’t diminish the dominance.So, is this going to be Golden State’s year? Well, history is against them. Remember last year, when the Warriors went up by three games before King James led his team on a historic comeback, to take the series and the crown. Of course, last year, the Warriors didn’t have (triple) double threat Durant on the floor. KD is already being talked about as one of the top five small forwards in NBA history. James is also in the discussion, along with Bird, Dr. J., Baylor, and Pippen. Most say James is better than Durant, but what happens if Durant is the Difference Maker that dethrones the King? ‘Bron is probably still “better,” but it would sure be good for basketball.In the post-Jordan era, the NBA suffered a bit of a slump. Kobe and Shaq were marquee players, but the completion just wasn’t what it had been when the Lakers and Celtics were battling year after year, followed by the Bulls and Pistons against all comers. James entered the NBA when the league was looking for a resurgence. It needed a star to help it rebuild its brand. And that star needed a foil, an opponent who could bring out his best and, potentially, bring him down.  Enter Durant. OKC fans howled in dismay when KD left middle America for the coast. But, for basketball fans, the move was the missing piece on a machine that might actually bring down a King. Now, even the oddsmakers are daring to say Cleveland is going down…and going down fast.ABC analyst Jeff Van Gundy told the Associated Press that Golden State was the definite favorite: “I think when you're the prohibitive favorite against LeBron James, Kyrie Irving, and Kevin Love, that means you're a heck of a team, and they sure are.” And Coach Van Gundy is hardly the only basketball Swami to make this call. But, really, is GSW really that much of a shoo-in? Well, that’s why they play the game, and you can bet, no matter what, LeBron James will have a say in the outcome. Will he show up like he did last year, or will this be the year and the team to steal his throne? Who knows…One thing is absolutely certain. These are the two best teams in basketball, meeting for their third consecutive title tilt, another unprecedented event. Should be fun to watch … great public relations for the NBA and it’s already great for basketball. [author]About the Author: Rhonda Adams is NYC based, and a major sports fan. [/author]