Obviously, the Golden State Warriors are the best team in the NBA and the overwhelming favorite to win another championship. FiveThirtyEight’s model currently gives Golden State a 46 percent probability of winning the title, and it honestly seems low.

This is despite Golden State making few meaningful changes in the summer, and three of the five closest challengers to the Warriors (the Rockets, Celtics, and Raptors) getting substantially better. (The Spurs didn’t, and the Cavaliers just got weirder.)

 

This is despite the fact we still haven’t seen a full complement of Spurs in a series against the Warriors.

 

This is despite the specter of Isaiah Thomas in Cleveland and the chance the Cavaliers might get a shot at trading that Nets pick that rode to town with him, maybe even for DeAndre

 

Jordan or Paul George. (A boy in need of a [wisp of a hope for a] competitive NBA Finals can dream, ¿verdad?)

 

This is despite the Warriors getting bored here and there, with relatively few challengers hitting hard enough to gain their attention.