Is this the year the Warriors lose in the Finals? Pittstop thinks so.



It’s playoff time! This is Pittstop’s favorite time of the year. 16 teams (eight from the Eastern conference and eight from the Western conference) playing each other in a best of seven series for the right to be crowned the 2019 NBA Champion. Currently we are in the conference semi-final round, and these playoffs have already given us some buzzer-beaters and game-clinching shots (credit to Damian Lillard, DJ Augustin, and Kevin Durant), incredible dunks and highlight plays (thank you Giannis Antetokounmpo, Nikola Jokic, and Derick White), and memorable moments (shout out to Patrick Beverley versus Durant and Jared Dudley versus Ben Simmons). What more can you ask for?

Right now, we have the Trailblazers tied with the Nuggets 1-1 and the Warriors up 2-0 versus the Rockets in the West, and the Bucks and Celtics are 1-1, and the Sixers are up 2-1 against the Raptors in the East. Everyone assumes the Warriors will three-peat and win their third ring in a row, but Pittstop has a different outcome. I believe that the Bucks will finish off the Celtics in six games behind the strong play of MVP-candidate Giannis Antetokounmpo, and the incredible shooting of Kris Middleton, Brook Lopez, and their bench shooters, and the Raptors will beat the Sixers in six games behind Kawhi’s amazing play, Pascal Siakam’s improved skills, and their strong depth off the bench.

In the West, I believe that the Warriors will beat the Rockets in five.They are just too strong as a unit and are especially unstoppable when Durant and Stephen Curry are in the zone, and though James Harden has been brilliant all season, he just isn’t a playoff player to me, and doesn’t have enough to overcome the firepower the Warriors possess. The Nuggets will move past the Blazers in six games, as in my opinion, the bruteness of Jokic and Millsap are too much for the Blazers big men, and without Nurkic who is out due to injury, they cannot just rely on Mccollum and Lillard to shoot them to victory each game.

The Bucks will meet the Raptors in the Eastern Conference Finals, and the Warriors will face the Nuggets in the Western Conference Finals, two one seed versus two seed matchups, and both matchups will put on a show. In the end, Giannis and his crew with all their shooting and physicality and size will be too much for the Raptors to overcome, and they will move on to the NBA Finals in six games. While in the West, the Warriors will beat Jokic and the Nuggets in a hard-fought seven game series, and will face the Bucks in the NBA Finals.

Though I am firmly the greatest Warriors hater in the world, I really believe they will lose this year in six games to the Milwaukee Bucks and the three-peat run will be over. The lack of depth the Warriors have on their bench is a disadvantage against the Bucks, as the Bucks have one of the best scoring benches in the league. I know that the Warriors have Curry, Klay Thompson, and Durant and all, but the Bucks are not scrubs compared to them. There is a reason why they were top five in both defensive and offensive ratings this year, and own the best regular-season record in the NBA, and with their length and toughness on defense, they will give the Warriors a challenge on the offensive end. I expect Giannis to unleash and come away with the NBA Finals MVP trophy and show the world that yes, it is possible to take down the “unbeatable” Warriors.