I said it yesterday, and I’ll say it again. A sweep is in play for the Warriors. Sure, the Cavaliers will have the best competitor on the court in LeBron James — which is saying a lot given the star power on display in the 2018 National Basketball Association Finals. On the flipside, the distribution of wattage is precisely why the fourth iteration of the most enduring rivalry in modern-day organized sports cannot but be lopsided. The opposition has four All-Stars in their primes, and two possess and unparalleled capacity for shotmaking.
Don’t get me wrong. I’m not underestimating James’ otherworldly presence. As his arduous trek to his eighth straight Finals appearance underscores, however, he carries an overwhelming load borne of an inferior supporting cast; in terms of talent level, the Cavaliers as currently constructed are the weakest of all the teams he has brought to the sport’s grandest stage. Meanwhile, the Warriors are historically without peer in terms of end-to-end efficiency.
Granted, I got an inordinate amount of flak, some even from Warriors fans, for arguing yesterday that the 2018 Finals will be predictably weighted in favor of the defending champions. However, the exercise in caution stems from a healthy respect for James’ capabilities and not from an informed assessment of the facts. Nonetheless, he would have to be at his best ever for the Cavaliers to have a chance — make that a ghost of a chance. And that’s assuming those standing in his way implode in some measure.
Which, for all intents, means today will mark the start of a veritable blowout. Game One at the Oracle Arena will feature James taking on a Sisyphean task. And if — or, to be more precise, when — he falls short as expected, it won’t be a knock on his greatness, but an affirmation of the Warriors’ ascendancy. And in the face of contrary opinions, I’d posit that there’s no shame in the truth.
Anthony L. Cuaycong has been writing Courtside since BusinessWorld introduced a Sports section in 1994.
