NBA Finals 2017 Prediction: Cleveland Cavaliers vs Golden State Warriors

Today is the day. It's finally here. The NBA Finals. The Cleveland Cavaliers versus the Golden State Warriors. The trilogy. Game 1 is tonight, and so many people are hyped—blah, blah, blah, you get the idea now.

We've been waiting for over a week and that's all we've been hearing. I think everybody has heard just about every hot take imaginable now for the past week, but which team is going to come out on top in this series?

Will LeBron James and the Cavs go back-to-back and defend their crown, or will the Warriors get revenge after blowing a 3-1 lead last year? With the addition of Kevin Durant, the Dubs look scarier than ever.

Looking at everyone's predictions, they are all picking the Golden State. Some think they are going to sweep, but there's no way. The Cavs will get at least one win. However, I can see them winning in five if they are just that dangerous—and I think they can be.

Their two regular season matchups show that the Dubs have the advantage. They had a huge lead in their Christmas loss before blowing it, but they got revenge when they destroyed them in their next meeting.

So, am I picking the Warriors to win this series?

Here's what I think:

Yep, I'm going the Cavs. For the past two Finals, I picked Cleveland, and it only makes sense to pick them again. I just can't bet against LeBron, no matter how good the other team is.

I was leaning towards the Dubs, but I realized picked Cleveland to win it all before the season, so I'm going to stick with that.

The Christmas game really convinced me, especially since the Cavs were playing without JR Smith. Both teams have improved and are different since then, but I won't bet against Cleveland.

I think Kevin Love is going to play a bigger role in this series. He was trash offensively last year, but redeemed himself mostly for his defense on Stephen Curry at the end of Game 7. If he can get his normal scoring and efficiency going in this series, Cleveland could have the advantage.

You can already count on LeBron and Kyrie Irving to score a ton. It's up to the others step up. Yeah, the Warriors got a strong core, but I think Cleveland has a deeper bench. I can see random big games coming from the likes Kyle Korver and Deron Williams.

Cleveland does have to watch out for Klay Thompson. He's been in a slump, but I can see him getting really hot one game. How can the Cavs stop all these shooters in Klay, KD, and Steph? There's also Draymond to worry about.

Honestly, I don't think the Warriors are as scary as people are making them out to be. We saw how they were in Game 1 against the San Antonio Spurs before Kawhi Leonard went out. Cleveland has beaten them before, so why are we all of a sudden counting them out so easily?

There's a lot of pressure on KD in this series, but can he live up to it? He actually has more on him than James, and we all know why. This game could decide his legacy (not for me, but obviously for many others). If he loses, he won't hear the end of it for the rest of the summer.

As for LeBron's side, people are saying he has nothing to lose. That is true, but being 4-4 in the Finals looks a whole better than 3-5.

If he and the Cavs were to beat this insane Warriors team AND he no longer has a losing Finals record (something the haters always cling onto), I don't see what else you can say against this man.

However, you'll then hear endless LeBron-MJ comparisons, which I can understand is annoying (we've been hearing it all playoffs now). But he is just that good, and LeBron chasing the GOAT is fun to watch.

So give me Cleveland. I really want to see the memes if the Warriors lose.

Cavs in 6

I've gone with that prediction for the past two Finals. It hasn't happened yet, but damnit I'm gonna do it again.

Here's how I can see that scenario playing out:

Game 1: Warriors

Game 2: Cavaliers

Game 3: Cavaliers

Game 4: Cavaliers

Game 5: Warriors

Game 6: Cavaliers

LeBron's only won Game 1 of the Finals once in his career, which was 2011 versus the Dallas Mavericks. So losing Game 1 really isn't something to panic about. But it's crucial for Cleveland to steal at least one in the Bay Area before heading back home.

And then, we get hit with the 3-1 lead. I don't see Cleveland blowing it, but I wouldn't be surprised if they lose Game 5 to the Warriors. However, this all sets up for the potential series-deciding Game 6 at home, where James wins one in the Land.

Cavs in 6.