Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Golden State Warrios Game 1 in 2016 NBA Finals [POLL]: Shaquille O'Neal, Charles Barkley, Kenny Smith's Predictions Differ on Winner of Series
Former Pro Basketball Players Weigh on the Chances of Both Teams
The NBA Finals rematch between the Golden State Warriors and the Cleveland Cavaliers is set on Friday, and fans are excited to witness if the Warriors will retain the crown or the Cavs will snatch a championship.
In an interview and analysis of the upcoming Finals game, former professional basketball players Kenny Smith, Shaquille O'Neal and Charles Barkley weighed on the chances of winning of the two teams. It came down to a 2-1 decision with only Barkley picking the Cavs.
Smith explained that though the Cavs appeared as the dominant team during the playoffs, the LeBron James-led team is now facing a different competition.
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"The Cavs will notice that there are multiple players in the court that can do multiple things," the former Houston Rockets star said.
He added that Cleveland did not have an opponent like the Warriors during their Eastern Conference games. Smith said that the Cavs are certainly walking into a fight as they chose Golden State to keep their title and walk away as back-to-back winners.
The former Los Angeles Lakers big man seemed to agree. O'Neal said that when it comes to a shooting match, he would have to choose the Warriors over the Cavs.
For Barkley, it was a different opinion. The TNT analyst said the Cleveland Cavaliers will take home the win, noting that this has been his opinion since the beginning of the season and he will not change his mind.
Two months ago, " target="_blank">247 Sports reported Barkley's statement about the Cavs winning this year's NBA Finals series. The former Philadelphia 76er said LeBron and his teammates would be the group to beat for this year.
This has yet to be seen, but it looks like both teams are doing their respective preparations for the finals series. The Cavs expressed on their official website that they are ready to "run" with the Warriors.
Coach Tyronn Lue said they just need to play their game for this Finals matchup. "We're not going to slow the ball down and be at ease. We're going to push the pace, try to get easy baskets early in transition but make sure we're taking good shots," he added.
On the other hand, the Warriors also have their game plan ironed out. NBA.com explained that the team is hoping to adjust to the dominant play of the Cavs and at the same time contain the unstoppable LeBron James. Of course, who can set aside the MVP in Steph Curry.
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