A Warriors Loss to Cavs Would Not Detract from Championship

What would it mean if the Warriors lost to the Cavaliers on Christmas?

]The Golden State Warriors got lucky all 67 times they won last year, they are total frauds, their championship last year shouldn’t even count, and they are just a gimmicky three-point-shooting team that will be exposed by a healthy Cavs team on Christmas.

Just kidding.

In all seriousness, I’m pretty excited for this matchup of Christmas Day. I feel like it will be the first true test for the 2015-2016 Warriors team. Contrary to popular belief, the Warriors have played numerous playoff teams, and they have not had a ridiculously easy schedule, but playing Cleveland is the first time Golden State will play a fellow member of the NBA’s top 4 (GSW, SAS, OKC, CLE). I mean, all due respect to Toronto and the Clippers (well, actually…. all due respect to Toronto) but the Warriors haven’t really played a title contender yet.

So I’m excited for this game. I am also nervous for this game.

I’m nervous for the defense without Harrison Barnes. I’m nervous for Coach Luke Walton in his first top-flight game with the whole country watching. But am I nervous that the Dubs will be “exposed” by the Cavs, and that the Cavs will “prove” that they are the better team and would have won it all last year barring health issues?

Nah.

Look, I think that the Warriors will win on the 25th. I think that the Dubs will want to win on their home floor, and that they will want to prove to everyone that they could be one of the best teams of all time. Klay Thompson has broken out of his slump and is looking every bit as good as he was last year, Draymond is Draymond, and both Andrew Bogut and Festus Ezeli have improved on the offensive end while maintaining their form on defense.

Jun 9, 2015; Cleveland, OH, USA; Golden State Warriors center Festus Ezeli (31) reacts to a call during the third quarter against the Cleveland Cavaliers in game three of the NBA Finals at Quicken Loans Arena. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports

The Dubs do, however, lack starting small forward Harrison Barnes. But, I still expect them to win.

Does it even matter if they win though?

Again, Nah.

Of course, the game is an important game. It’s against the Cavs, it’s against LeBron, it’s the Finals rematch, it’s on Christmas, etc., etc. But it doesn’t really matter on the level that some talking heads on TV are saying it does.

Many people are saying that the Cavs will finally show the world that the Warriors are just a gimmicky team and that they will prove that they would have won it all last year “if Kyrie and Love were healthy” (which is possibly one of the most overused phrases in the English language. That and “omg literally me”).

And if the Cavs win, all due respect to them. Beating the Dubs in Oracle is not an easy thing to do. But will they have “exposed” the Warriors? No. This is simply one game in an 82 game regular season. This is a game between possibly the two best teams in the NBA.