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ESPN analyst Stephen A. Smith has picked the Golden State Warriors to win the 2022 NBA Finals over the Boston Celtics. Smith even went further to say that the Warriors will win two NBA titles in the next three seasons.
On Tuesday's episode of ESPN's "First Take," Smith predicted that the Warriors could win two NBA championships in the next three seasons. One of the reasons why Smith is sold on Golden State is their depth, as well as the way they are built to win in the next few years.
Smith said:
"I'm thinking about Steph Curry. I'm thinking about Klay. I'm thinking about Draymond, but I'm also thinking about Jordan Poole. I'm thinking about Kuminga, yes I'm going to bring up James Wiseman. ... I like their chances."
He added:
"I like Moses Moody, I like what I've seen from him. I like Kuminga. I really love Kuminga actually, okay? I'm looking at the Golden State Warriors being at least eight-deep."
Steph A. Smith reasoned that the Warriors are built to contend for years to come due to the combination of their veteran and young core. Golden State will still have Steph Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green for the next few years, while Jordan Poole, Jonathan Kuminga, James Wiseman and Moses Moody are in development.
Another point of discussion on "First Take" was Curry possibly surpassing LeBron James for the number of championships won. Steph currently has three, but has a chance to tie LeBron if the Warriors can beat the Celtics. Smith said:
"I am willing to say that the Golden State Warriors are winning two of the next three titles. I believe Steph Curry will eclipse LeBron James and capture five championships in his career, while LeBron is still stuck on four. That's what I believe will happen."
The Golden State Warriors are built to contend for the next few years
The Golden State Warriors are built to contend for the next several years, with team owner Joe Lacob pointing that out after they clinched an NBA Finals berth for the sixth time in eight seasons. He told the press (h/t NBC Sports):
"I know we took some criticism from some people that we should trade all the draft pieces that we have to get one more great player or whatever."
He added:
"I was very adamant about it, and so was Bob (Myers). That was not the path that we were going down. We want to be good for a long time. We want to be great for a long time."
Steph Curry favorite to win Finals MVP
Steph Curry became the first player to win the Magic Johnson MVP award after the Golden State Warriors defeated the Dallas Mavericks in the Western Conference Finals.
The only thing missing from Curry's legendary resume is an NBA Finals MVP, and he's the favorite to win that award heading into Game 1 on Thursday.
According to ABC News, Curry is ahead of Jayson Tatum and is the favorite to win the prestigious Bill Russell MVP trophy.
The Warriors are also the slight favorites to win the NBA championship over the Boston Celtics. Game 1 of the 2022 NBA Finals will be held at the Chase Center in San Francisco, California.
Guess the Lakers players!
