Golden State Warriors must start the NBA Finals on fire without Kevin Durant

Kevin Durant will not be playing the first few games of the 2019 NBA Finals. As a result, the Golden State Warriors will have to start off hot.

The Golden State Warriors are back in the NBA Finals for the fifth consecutive season. This time, the Dubs coasted through the Western Conference even in the absence of their two-time Finals MVP, Kevin Durant. However, the Finals will be their hardest challenge yet and they must hit the ground running.

For the first time in what seems like forever, the Eastern Conference was arguably the stronger of the two conferences. With powerhouse teams such as the Milwaukee Bucks and Toronto Raptors prepared to face the Warriors, the first few games of this series will be crucial.

If the Dubs play the Bucks, they will be asked to play the first two games in Milwaukee. This gives the Bucks an even bigger advantage than they already had with Durant being out due to the calf injury he suffered in Game 5 versus the Houston Rockets.

Falling down 2-0 in either series would be deadly. Since beginning their run in 2015, the Warriors have not faced a 2-0 deficit once. This season has by far been their toughest due to multiple injuries and it certainly isn’t the time to test if they can overcome this type of deficit.

Luckily, Stephen Curry has been on fire lately and should be able to help the Dubs steal at least one of the first two games. Curry is averaging 35.8 points per game in his last five outings and has led the Warriors to a perfect 5-0 record during this stretch.

A hot start to the NBA Finals is going to be critical in determining the series. There is no telling when Durant will be back, so the Dubs have to focus on handling the task in front of them.