Can the Golden State Warriors win a third straight NBA Championship – especially amid the turmoil that has taken place on and off the court this past season? Or will a viable challenger emerge to dethrone the defending champs?
The 2019 NBA Playoffs are nearly here, and it’s a time of year when the intensity ramps up as teams embrace a “win or go home” mentality. Here’s a look at what to watch for in this year’s NBA postseason, followed by our picks:
Top Headlines Heading into the 2019 NBA Playoffs
- Who can dethrone Golden State? The real question this postseason is whether anyone can dethrone Golden State. We think there are several contenders, like the Boston Celtics, Philadelphia 76ers, and Milwaukee Bucks – don’t sleep on the Denver Nuggets either. With this season likely the last year of the Warriors team as we currently know it, does Golden State have one last push?
- Where are the LA Lakers? You’d think that acquiring LeBron James in the offseason would be enough to get the Lakers into the playoffs – but so far this hasn’t been the case. At the time of this writing, the Lakers are well outside of the eighth seed in the West. Maybe next year?
- Are there any sleeper teams to watch? Very rarely are any low seeds able to top the favorites over the course of a multi-game series, but there are always a few sleeper teams that make some noise. Call us crazy, but don’t be surprised if the Detroit Pistons or LA Clippers have some fight in them this year.
Our NBA Predictions (2019 Playoffs Edition)
Like we said before, the cream typically rises to the top in the NBA playoffs. That said, we see a Golden State vs. Denver Western Conference Final and a Milwaukee vs. Toronto Eastern Conference Final. We like Denver to knock off the champs and come out of the West, and Toronto to win the East.
In the finals, give us the Nuggets in six games over the Raptors.
Who do you have going all the way this year? For NBA picks and more, visit our website.
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