What was initially seven teams in early June has dwindled down to two here in the decisive month of August. As crazy as this season has been, particularly the exhilarating Warriors-Spurs Conference Finals series, the two teams competing for the 2017 BGBL trophy are how many experts predicted before opening day. This year’s 3-game Finals series will feature the three-time champion Philadelphia 76ers, hungry after their first Finals loss in franchise history last year and currently in pursuit of the first perfect season in league history, against the upstart Golden State Warriors, the league’s new offensive powerhouse led by 2017 League MVP Brandon Colon.

If you believe experience is a crucial factor in deciding championships, then you’re probably putting your money on Philly in this contest. The 76ers franchise players of Casey McClure, Adil Hamadeh, Jeremy Gannon, and Rudy Viton have a total of ten rings and fourteen Finals appearances between the four of them. On the other hand, the Warriors, an eight-man squad consisting of six rookies, have only one player on their roster with a Finals appearance, that being sophomore Lenworth Crawford. The two-year guard won a title with the Spurs in 2016 before joining the Warriors in 2017. If Golden State is able to take down Philadelphia, Crawford will become the first player in league history to win a title with two different teams in his first two years in the league.

Despite the Warriors' lack of experience, many are talking about this being the most competitive Finals of all time. After all, the Warriors have arguably the most talent of any team in the league, led by their Big 3 of MVP Brandon Colon, point guard Rob Burns, and the highly athletic Allen Brown. The three of them average a combined 51.5 points per game on the season, the most of any trio in the league.

The 76ers offense isn’t too shabby either, though. Michael Cuva, currently third in the league in scoring at 18 PPG, has really filled in the much-needed scoring role for Philly ever since Andrew Owers’s departure in 2015. The city of Philadelphia has thrived with Cuva’s presence. Allen Brown of the Warriors, though, is not worried. The third member of the Big 3 was reported as having said he believes the toughest challenge is out of the way, that being the defending champion San Antonio Spurs, the team the Warriors beat to get to the Finals. 76ers GM Casey McClure has the opposite viewpoint, reportedly telling commissioner Mike McClure to bring the $1,400 grand prize on Thursday night, the day he guarantees the season will end with a Philly sweep of the Warriors and completion of the 76ers’ perfect season.

As far as injuries go, the 76ers will be missing 6th Man of the Year John Molica for Game 1 on Tuesday night. Make sure you don’t start the sharp shooting big man on your Draft Kings team, as he is listed as Out with family vacation. The 76ers will surely miss his presence down low, as they will have to battle against a dominant trio of Brandon Colon, Allen Brown, and Quentin Middleton. The Warriors will be missing Xavier Flores for Games 1 and 2 due to work, but the rookie should be back for Game 3 if the series goes the distance.

X-Factors:

Rudy Viton (76ers)
Rudy had a slow start to 2017, averaging just 3.5 PPG through the month of June. However, he has since turned it around drastically, averaging 13 points per game in his last three games. Throughout the three-game stretch, Viton has also recorded 8 three-pointers and 10 steals. It would make sense that Rudy would be on a mission come playoff time. Although the team’s former leading scorer would certainly be considered a Philly lifer, Rudy has not won a championship with Philly since his rookie year in 2014. In 2015, Viton was enjoying life in South Beach playing for the Heat, and then in 2016, the 76ers were finally defeated by the expansion franchise Spurs. Not only that, but Viton was forced to sit out the entire 2014 Finals route of the Rockets due to a leg injury. Needless to say, there may be no other player on the court that wants a title more than Rudy Viton. Philly has played better as a team when the heavy three-point specialist is ticking. Therefore, fortunate enough for Viton, he could be the deciding factor in this Finals.

Quentin Middleton (Warriors)
In the midst of all this talk about Golden State’s “Big 3,” you might forget about Golden State’s franchise center Quentin Middleton. The big man played a huge role in the Game 3 victory over the Spurs, nearly recording a double-double (9 points, 12 rebounds). Flying under the radar for the majority of the season, ‘Q’ is quietly becoming one of the most dominant big men in the league. The Warriors are probably going to have to win the battle down low in order to win this series. Middleton will be crucial in ensuring the Warriors win that battle, as well as providing a fourth scoring option behind Colon, Burns, and Brown.

Key Matchup: Casey McClure vs Rob Burns
In the Finals, leadership is key and it will be the job of the point guard of each team to ensure his team stays the course. Both point guards have proven to be clutch this year, but the Finals is a different monster. The point guard play could end up being the difference in this series.

Keys to the Game:

76ers: Make the role players beat you.
Colon, Burns, & Brown have scored 89% of the Warriors’ points this season. Easier said than done, but if the 76ers can disrupt the rhythm of the Big 3, they can potentially force the other 11% to beat them. This is not a flawless strategy, however, as the remainder of the Warriors team is not to be underestimated. Rob Wonyetye, specifically, has scored 15 points this season, all from behind the 3-point arc. Don’t be surprised if he has a couple big 3’s at crucial moments in this series.

Warriors: Don’t let it be close
The undefeated 76ers have not won every game easily. The experienced team has thrived in close games, winning their first four games by a total of 11 points. If the game comes down to the wire, Philly has the veteran experience required to close it out. The Warriors can prevent this from happening if they can establish a big enough lead which Philly will be unable to overcome. Again, this is easier said than done, but the Warriors have the offensive firepower to break lose against any team.

Last Time These Teams Met: The 76ers remain the only team that the Warriors have yet to beat this season. These teams have met once, on June 26th of this year. The 76ers took the victory 58-56 after Michael Cuva finished off his 29-point performance with two clutch free throws with a second to go.

Both these teams have fully expected to win the championship all year. While one will triumph, the other will have to come up short of that ambitious goal. The action tips off Tuesday night at PGA Park.

Game 1: Tuesday, August 8th, 7:30 - PGA Park

Game 2: Thursday, August 10th, 7:30 - PGA Park

*Game 3: TBD

*if necessary