This NBA season comes as a shocker to most fans with some expectations being met and others not living up to the hype around their teams, as we come to the final stretch with the NBA finals starting on May 30th, 2019 between the Golden State Warriors and the Toronto Raptors.

Even if we were to take a look at just the two NBA finals teams, their paths are significantly different from one another. On one hand, the Golden State Warriors is a team that was put together for one sole purpose, to continue returning to the finals and winning championships. Now that it is their fifth year, and their third year after they added the famed future hall of famer and all star Kevin Durant, it almost seems like an unfair opponent for anyone to face.

“The Golden State Warriors injuries simply seem too hard for them to sustain the level of brilliance that they have been playing, and sustained for their historic run that has often given them the title of dynasty.”

On the other hand, the Cleveland Cavaliers has been almost bullied out of the playoffs year after year. Now that Lebron James moved West to join the Los Angeles Lakers and missed the postseason for the first time since his rookie year, the rights for the East was up for grabs. Seeing the opening this year, and after winning tough, long fought series against favorites like the Philadelphia 76ers and the Milwaukee Bucks, the Toronto Raptors have punched their first ticket to the NBA finals in the history of their franchise.

Though the scales seem tipped heavily in favor of the Golden State Warriors who have advantages in virtually every field from their starting five to experience, a few recent injuries have left them weak and vulnerable. Without two major stars, Kevin Durant and Demarcus Cousins (both reigning all stars), the Warriors have been set back from the elite lineup that was expected to sweep aside the competition. Surprisingly, the Warriors have stayed strong through the multitude of injuries, sweeping aside the competition in the Western Conference and advancing to the finals.

At Bronx Science, many believe that this year it will be too difficult for the Golden State Warriors to pull off a win. Others believe that the three-peat is all but inevitable. Tafani Chowdhury ’19 believes that, “the Golden State Warriors injuries simply seem too hard for them to sustain the level of brilliance that they have been playing at, which has sustained them for a historic run that has often given them the title of dynasty.”

For one, all NBA fans agree that this years finals will not be a pushover, and with the numerous storylines evolving, all fans are waiting with anticipation to see what comes at the end of this wild 2018-2019 NBA season.

“The Golden State Warriors injuries simply seem too hard for them to sustain the level of brilliance that they have been playing at, which has sustained them for a historic run that has often given them the title of dynasty,” said Tafani Chowdhury ’19.