For the Cleveland Cavaliers and Golden State Warriors, their third straight finals meeting goes to show how dominant they have been in their respective conferences the past three years. It also proves and that their opponents will need to step up their games and add more talent to their rosters in order to beat them. However, many also believe they’ve made it because of the lack of parity and competitive balance in the NBA.
Former Los Angeles Lakers player and New York Knicks head coach Derek Fisher weighed in on the topic and gave a very interesting take on it. He admitted that both teams have a lot of talent, but also added, via Sports Illustrated's Lee Jenkins, that he thinks they are beatable and not immortal.
“I don't feel sorry for the Toronto Raptors. I don't pity the Boston Celtics. The shots they missed are not a collective bargaining issue.”
“Obviously, when you have talent, it's easier. But foregone conclusion? Impossible to beat? They're not immortal. I played with some of the biggest, baddest dudes on the block, and there were plenty of times we could have lost. You can't convince me it's already written. You just can't. Is Kevin Durant going to feel the pressure? Will he try to do too much? Those are factors you can't predict.”
Despite the Cavs and Dubs being the first pair teams to compete for the championship in three consecutive years, Fisher cites the lack of belief of the other teams in themselves, as the main reason why they have not been able to dethrone them.
“There used to be a time, with Magic [Johnson] and the Celtics, [Michael] Jordan and the Pistons, you had to go through the big player, the big team, to reach your destiny,” he said. “We've got a lot of guys that won't go far enough beyond their perceived limits to step up and beat these teams. The guys who get the most out of themselves are the ones who win. That's what it comes down to.”
While his statement may not be the most popular among all the teams in the NBA, but there may be some truth to it as well, as they could be beaten already in the psychological department during the start of the games, knowing that the Cavaliers and Warriors have a multitude of stars in their lineup. It’s also hard to question his take, until he is proven otherwise, especially coming from a five-time champion, who knows a thing or two about going up against star-studded teams during his playing career.
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