This season’s NBA playoffs has the potential to feature a third-straight Cleveland-Golden State Finals. Despite both teams commanding playoff records without any blemishes, the road to the Larry O’Brien Trophy won’t be easy for either squad, raising the question: Which team will have the tougher road to the NBA Finals, the Cavaliers or the Warriors?
Cleveland Cavaliers
As good as the Cleveland Cavaliers are, making three-consecutive NBA Finals appearances is not easy.Facing the Toronto Raptors in the semifinals and the Boston Celtics likely meeting up with them in the Eastern Conference Finals, the Cavs will have a struggle making it back.
The biggest, or smallest, obstacle will be Isaiah Thomas. At 5-9, Thomas has had an incredible season that recently culminated in his 53-point performance in a win over the Wizards. In that game, Thomas scored 29 in the fourth quarter and overtime.
There’s a reason the Cavs lost the top seed to the Celtics late in the regular season. They ended up with a 7-10 record in the month of March, while losing the final four games of the regular season.
The Celtics, on the other hand, had an 11-5 record in March, including a win over Cleveland.
Even if Boston ends up losing the series to Washington, the Wizards also pose a serious threat. The backcourt of John Wall and Bradley Beal is one of the best in the NBA and would instantly cause problem.
While the Cavs did have a first round sweep of the Pacers, it tied the smallest margin in a four-game sweep in NBA history.
From the start of the series, Cleveland faced its share of difficulties, most noticeable in a 25-point halftime deficit in the third game. When it comes down to it, the Pacers had a chance to extend the series more than expected.
— Pete Ruden
Golden State Warriors
While the Eastern Conference is tougher than in years past, the West still reigns supreme.
The Warriors swept the Portland Trailblazers and might sweep the Utah Jazz as well. The real challenge lies in the conference finals. Golden State will clash with either the Houston Rockets or the San Antonio Spurs in the next round.
Both Texas teams boast terrific coaching, something that Golden State does not rely on; the Warriors depend heavily off their stars. Stephen Curry, Draymond Green, Kevin Durant, and Klay Thomson are the best four-player group in the league.
Star power can only get you so far in the playoffs, however, because basketball is a game of strategy.
Mike D’Antoni, the head coach of the Rockets, finally has the players built for his up-tempo, run-and-shoot offense. Houston lives and dies by the 3-pointer, and when it’s clicking, the Rockets are the most explosive team in the league.
Gregg Popovich is known as the league’s best coach. Under his system, ball movement is king; the Spurs are one of the few teams in the NBA that look for the best possible shot on every single possession.
Both teams possess MVP-candidates (the Rockets’ James Harden and the Spurs’ Kawhi Leonard). Harden, a former teammate of Durant, is arguably the best volume scorer in the NBA, while Leonard is the best two-way player we’ve seen in a long time.
While the Warriors’ big four causes matchup nightmares, their bench leaves more to be desired. When Curry, Durant, Green, and Thompson are off the floor, Golden State becomes vulnerable, especially when attempting to keep pace with some of the league’s most dangerous squads.
— Adam Hensley
