Post by eric on Mar 22, 2019 15:51:42 GMT
The top three teams right now are the Bucks, Raptors, and Warriors - 538 gives the three a combined 88% chance of winning the title with the next highest team (the Rockets) at only 4%. All three present unusual historical possibilities should they win the title.
The Warriors would be the first team to go to five straight Finals since Bill Russell's Celtics went to eight straight (1959-1966). Since then the Lakers (1982-1985) Celtics (1984-1987) Heat (2011-2014) and Cavs (2015-2018) are the only to even go four straight, so the Warriors are already in quite good company, and they'd also add themselves to the 2000-2002 Lakers and 1991-1993 1996-1998 Bulls as the only teams since Russell to win three in a row, and they'd be the only team on both lists, making a pretty solid case for Best Team Since Russell.
The Raptors winning would probably result in Kawhi Leonard being named Finals MVP, making him the first player to collect that award for two separate franchises since all the way back in 2016 when LeBron did it, but before that the only player in the nearly fifty year history of the award to do so was Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (1985 Lakers, 1971 Bucks).
Speaking of the Bucks, they would generate the first Finals MVP to not have won a playoff series in any previous year since 1980, when Magic Johnson won the award as a rookie. The only non-rookie to do so is who else but Bill Walton (1977) in year three. With Giannis in year six the best historical comp is probably Paul Arizin, who did not win Finals MVP in 1956 since it was not yet awarded but probably would have with 28 points per game on 43% from the field (which sounds bad until you learn the rest of the team shot 37%). "Pitchin'" Paul played two All-Star years for the Philadelphia Warriors and amassed a total of one (1) playoff game won before leaving the NBA for mandatory military service (thank you very much Arver v United States 1918), coming back for a year where Phila didn't even make the playoffs, then winning the whole shebang.
.
Of the 31 players to win Finals MVP overall
8 had already won a title counting 1972 Wilt, who probably would have won Finals MVP in 1967 and so would be among the other
12 who had already made the Finals, and another
7 who had already made the Conference Finals brings us to a total of 27.
We already mentioned Johnson and Walton, the two who had only won one round are Andre Iguodala (once with the 76ers and once with the Warriors) and Tim Duncan (Spurs).
The Warriors would be the first team to go to five straight Finals since Bill Russell's Celtics went to eight straight (1959-1966). Since then the Lakers (1982-1985) Celtics (1984-1987) Heat (2011-2014) and Cavs (2015-2018) are the only to even go four straight, so the Warriors are already in quite good company, and they'd also add themselves to the 2000-2002 Lakers and 1991-1993 1996-1998 Bulls as the only teams since Russell to win three in a row, and they'd be the only team on both lists, making a pretty solid case for Best Team Since Russell.
The Raptors winning would probably result in Kawhi Leonard being named Finals MVP, making him the first player to collect that award for two separate franchises since all the way back in 2016 when LeBron did it, but before that the only player in the nearly fifty year history of the award to do so was Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (1985 Lakers, 1971 Bucks).
Speaking of the Bucks, they would generate the first Finals MVP to not have won a playoff series in any previous year since 1980, when Magic Johnson won the award as a rookie. The only non-rookie to do so is who else but Bill Walton (1977) in year three. With Giannis in year six the best historical comp is probably Paul Arizin, who did not win Finals MVP in 1956 since it was not yet awarded but probably would have with 28 points per game on 43% from the field (which sounds bad until you learn the rest of the team shot 37%). "Pitchin'" Paul played two All-Star years for the Philadelphia Warriors and amassed a total of one (1) playoff game won before leaving the NBA for mandatory military service (thank you very much Arver v United States 1918), coming back for a year where Phila didn't even make the playoffs, then winning the whole shebang.
.
Of the 31 players to win Finals MVP overall
8 had already won a title counting 1972 Wilt, who probably would have won Finals MVP in 1967 and so would be among the other
12 who had already made the Finals, and another
7 who had already made the Conference Finals brings us to a total of 27.
We already mentioned Johnson and Walton, the two who had only won one round are Andre Iguodala (once with the 76ers and once with the Warriors) and Tim Duncan (Spurs).