Takeaways After Two NBA Finals Games
There really isn't too much that needs to be said with regards to the current state of the NBA Finals. The Warriors are the superior team. Their skill-level trumps Cleveland's two-fold. Yes, LeBron is the world's greatest basketball player, but even he cannot deter the well-oiled machine that is the Golden State Warriors. Here are some thoughts that I have after watching the first two games:
This would have been an all-time series if not for Kevin Durant's arrival in the Bay. The past two Finals match-ups were both wildly entertaining, and this third meeting - the rubber match - would have been riveting. But, Kevin Durant drastically tilted the balance in favor of Golden State. He tilted it so much so that these games have almost become unwatchable.
What is preventing the Warriors from winning 3, 4, or 5 titles in a row? I really don't think that this question is that outlandish. They arguably have two of the top three offensive talents in the game under contract, as well as the likely Defensive Player of the Year for the next couple of years, and I would bet my bottom-dollar that the crew sticks together for as long as they continue to win championships.
The NBA is in a bad place. Yes, greatness is admired and desired in all sports. Look at the Patriots and Tom Brady in football and the Yankees of the late 90's in baseball. Each of those teams was/is placed on a pedestal. The Warriors are next in that lineage. But, sports fans like to see greatness pushed and challenged, and sometimes even fail. Brady and Belichick fell to the Giants twice. The Yankees fell to the Diamondbacks on a walk-off in Game 7 of the World Series. The Warriors? They haven't even lost a playoff game yet. As it stands now, they are 14-0 and are annihilating the competition. The NBA can say all that it wants that the league is in a good place, but for at least the next three years we might as well hand Golden State the trophy in October. What's the fun in that?
Dare I say LeBron retire? Yes, I admit that this is not going to happen, as LeBron is atop of his game and in pursuit of Michael Jordan, but if the Cavs do in fact go down without a fight in this series, I think LeBron should at least consider retirement. Why? The Warriors are not going anywhere and he is going to continually lose to them in the Finals for years to come. LeBron will pat his stats and his standing in the record books in the process, but what's the point? He is already in the discussion with MJ as the GOAT. He doesn't NEED to do anything else. If he retired tomorrow, at the peak of his powers, we wouldn't remember him as anything other than great. There would be a hint of mystery surrounding him, just as there is Jordan. While I love watching him play and would miss him dearly, I think LeBron should at least consider hanging 'em up.
