A survey conducted by The Athletic polled 110 players, asking them to pick a team different than their own as the favorite to win the NBA title. The response was an overwhelming majority going to the Golden State Warriors, who managed to take nearly 80 percent of the vote.
- Golden State (79.5%)
- Milwaukee (6.8%)
- Toronto (4%)
- Houston (3.1%)
- Boston, Philadelphia (1.8%)
- Oklahoma City, Clippers, Orlando (1%)
What's most surprising here is to see that the only team to draw blood on the Warriors, the Houston Rockets, are only the fourth-best option to win the title behind the Milwaukee Bucks and the Toronto Raptors as second and third favorites, respectively.
Golden State has proven that it doesn't need to be on a 73-win pace to terrorize teams in the postseason, cruising in 2016-17 to the tune of 16-1, while sweeping the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2018 after surviving a heart-pulsing best-of-seven series with the Rockets in the Western Conference Finals.
The Warriors (56-24, 1st in West) have been anything but convincing this season, but they seem to be rounding into shape in this final stretch of the season, winners of their last five games.
Ultimately, playoff series are often decided on talent and adjustments, and no other team can claim to have a more talent-infused roster than the Warriors, who added yet another powerhouse star in DeMarcus Cousins in the offseason.
Barring extreme causes, it won't take much to play players wrong, as the Warriors are bound to be overwhelming favorites to walk out with a third straight title at season's end.
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