The 2019 NBA Finals had the usual combination of drama, thrills and shocks, but a month on from Game Six in which the Toronto Raptors clinched their first ever title, there is a palpable feeling that change is coming to the NBA and that we are entering a new era.

And anyone looking for evidence that we are entering a new phase of NBA history need do no more than point to the bookmakers’ odds for the 2019-20 season. If the sportsbook operators are right, Golden State fans tuning in to watch the NBA on SKY in the autumn won’t be cheering on the competition favourite for the first time in four seasons.

Golden State are rated as fifth favourites to win back their crown next season, behind the LA Lakers, the LA Clippers, the Milwaukee Bucks and the Philadelphia 76ers, and are bracketed among a cluster of chasing teams that includes old rivals Houston.

The case for pronouncing the end of the Golden State era, which has produced five consecutive NBA Finals appearances and three Championships, is strengthened by the dramatic personnel changes that will shape the 2019-20 season. The dominant Golden State starting four has been reduced to two by the ACL injury suffered by Klay Thompson and the departure of the injured Kevin Durant.

Durant, along with Boston’s Kyrie Irving and DeAndre Jordan, will be part of the Brooklyn Nets franchise next season, while the man who conquered Golden State, Kawhi Leonard, has linked up with Oklahoma’s Paul George at the Clippers, who are likely to be pushed hard in the West by the Lakers, who have finally pulled off the signing of Anthony Davis to partner Lebron. And we can also expect the Milwaukee Bucks to push hard in the East, along with the 76ers.

Golden State will also have to contend with the attritional effects of five long, hard seasons. Becoming an NBA champion comes at a price, and the physical and mental exhaustion suffered by star point guard Steph Curry was evident by the end of the play-off finals.

But while it now seems a long shot for Golden State to claim the title again next season, we should be wary of concluding that their era is over. Three of the famous starting four will still be at the franchise next summer, and they have been joined by DeAngelo Russell, a smart young acquisition, who will add another dimension to their back-court play.

And coach Steve Kerr, who has moulded a ground-breaking NBA team, is still there. Much of the strength of the Warriors was built on his tactics and the team ethos he produced. So while the NBA fans checking out the latest prices on the Bigbetbookmakers sit may not be keen to back the Warriors to win the Championship next season, the foundations of success are still in place for 2020-21 and it is at least a year too soon to talk about the end of the Warriors era.

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