Last time, I mentioned how I was visiting Chicago for a wedding. Well, that wedding did, in fact, happen, and it was a delight to catch up with old friends.
One of those friends posed a classic basketball conundrum: If I were to bet on the NBA Finals, currently tied at 2-2, which team would I choose to win?
I said I thought the Warriors’ experience would be helpful but that I truly didn’t have a guess. After all, trying to correctly anticipate sports outcomes is an exercise in futility, yet many talking heads get paid to do just that.
Sure, you could spout off all kinds of statistics until you’re blue in the face, like how the team that wins Game 1 of the NBA Finals wins the series 70.7% of the time. Or, how the team with home-court advantage has won the Finals 80% of the time when playing in the 2-2-1-1-1 format (instead of the 2-3-2 way, which resulted in a 72.4% win rate for the home team).
But that requires doing a bunch of research, memorizing a ton of statistics, and exerting way too much energy. And as the examples above illustrate, you could make an argument for either team depending on who you think will win, or whoever you’re rooting for.
So, here are some more fun reasons why the Celtics or Warriors will win. Feel free to use them to win any arguments with your friends.
If you still think I have a guess after reading all of this email, I don’t know what to tell you. My best prediction is that I’m going to watch the games and hopefully be entertained by them.
Should you achieve the same thing, we’re all winners.
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