Well, now that the glitch in the Matrix has finally been resolved, the universe is back to normal again and we got the Finals rematch we all thought we were gonna get in the first place.
The Warriors are back from the dead and have kept their record breaking season alive, although now that they’ve been through the gauntlet hell of the Western Conference, the 73 wins sort of feel like a trailing thought. After these playoffs, no expert will dare crown this Warriors team as “the best team ever” if they get through the Cavs. The luster of their regular season is gone and now, suddenly, this once invincible team is more mortal today then they’ve been in nearly a year.
The Cavaliers, on the other hand, dispatched the East and the Toronto Drakes with ease and arrive at the Finals, only this time, they’re healthy. This Cavs team has evolved into it’s final form that LeBron had envisioned 2 summers ago when he came back and basically took the reigns as GM and brought along Love. Unless Kyrie has a Westbrook-like talent spurt in the next 2 years, this as good as the Cavaliers are going to get. LeBron’s risking going 2-5 in the Finals, a hole he isn’t young enough to dig out of anymore, so for his legacy’s sake, this NEEDS to be the Cavaliers’ best team.
The preview:
Front Court
Kevin Love didn’t play in last year’s Finals (duh) and Draymond Green has evolved into a legitimate #3 scoring option for Golden State. Tristan Thompson has transitioned well into the starting role and is built to match-up against a smaller line-up. Although the Warriors play small ball, they surprisingly rank in the top 4 in both RPG and BPG, besting Cleveland’s size. But LeBron is the greatest all-around player in the series, and Golden State has to live on the prayer that Green can keep up.
Advantage: Cleveland
Back Court
Steph Curry and Klay Thompson are the best back court tandem in the NBA and it’s not even close. Even with a healthy Kyrie, Curry is still leaps and bounds the player that Irving is at this point in their careers. Curry is a severely under-rated defender (although Westbrook might tell you different) and could cause trouble for Irving if he isn’t taking care of the ball. And no…not even Dellavedova will save them.
Advantage: Golden State
Coaching
David Blatt getting the ax in favor or Cavs assistant Tyronn Lue was the best move that could have happened for the Cavs.
I mean for Christ’s sake, Blatt:
There was a great story floating around about how Lue actually told LeBron to “shut the fuck up” during a time-out. Lue is a players coach and almost instantly re-energized their chemistry.
But Steve Kerr is having the greatest start to an NBA career ever and has an NBA championship under his belt.
Advantage: Golden State
Superstar
Curry has churned out 2 of the most offensively prolific seasons we’ve seen in a long while. Without question, Curry is this generation’s Reggie Miller; a machine built specifically built to break the game of basketball. He is the 2 time NBA MVP and has hijacked the league away from LeBron, which is something Durant wasn’t able to accomplish.
But LeBron, contrary to casual fan belief, is still the best basketball player on the planet. LeBron’s heir apparent is currently not in the NBA and most likely won’t be for another 5 to 10 years. No other player can will their team the way LeBron has willed his previous teams to wins. His defense and ability to run the point make him the most valuable player on the floor. On the macro, no matter what happens, LeBron’s legacy will definitively hinge on this series. 2-5 looks significantly worse than 3-4.
Advantage: Cleveland
So Who Wins?
Golden State in 7
