2017 NBA Finals Preview

For the first time in NBA history, the same two teams will face each other in the NBA Finals for the third straight year.  The Golden State Warriors and the Cleveland Cavaliers have split their last two meetings in the NBA Finals, and tonight will mark the start of the series that will determine which team is the winningest (for now) in their constant NBA Finals matchups.  The series will feature some of the greatest, most intense and hard-fought basketball we’ve seen in years and is sure to be just as memorable as the previous two matchups.  Especially with a significant rivalry starting to form between the two franchises, and with each team featuring a roster filled with the league’s greatest talent, I guarantee we’ll see multiple close games with remarkable, last-minute finishes.

In case you missed it, I recently wrote an article about how the 2016-17 Golden State Warriors may be the greatest team we’ve ever seen play in the NBA Playoffs.  If you haven’t given it a read, do so now!

Are the 2016-17 Warriors the Greatest NBA Playoff Team of All Time?

Now that you’re all caught up, it’s safe to say that Golden State’s flawless road to the NBA Finals wasn’t an accident.  Whether or not they are the sole greatest, they are definitely an extreme threat for Lebron and the Cavs this year.  The addition of Kevin Durant has only lifted this Warriors team to new heights, with Durant mixing perfectly with Golden State’s literal all-star starting lineup and impressively effective bench.

The most significant problem Eastern Conference teams have had when facing the Cavs this postseason has been attempting to stop the Cleveland big 3 of James, Love, and Irving simultaneously.  It seems that if you find a way to contain one of the three all stars, one of the others, or both, will exceed already high expectations and play stellar basketball to secure the much needed win.  For example, in game 3 of the Eastern Conference Finals, Lebron James was held to only 11 points, 6 rebounds, and 6 assists in the only win the Celtics would record during the series.  However, Kyrie finished with a 29 point performance and Kevin Love recorded one of his most impressive double-doubles of the season with 28 points and 10 rebounds.  In a similar fashion, when LeBron had a somewhat average night (at least for him) in game 5 of this same series by scoring 34 points while recording only 5 rebounds and 6 assists, Kevin Love went on to have a dominant performance with 17 points and rebounds and Kyrie Irving had an unforgettable night with a 42 point performance that pushed the Cavs passed the Celtics in a momentum changing win.  However, in game 6 when Kyrie had a less than average night, Lebron and Love were able to soar past the Celtics and help Lebron reach his 7th straight NBA Finals appearance.

It’s important to note that the Celtics, Raptors, and Pacers don’t have nearly as much depth when compared to the Warriors.  With matchups like Durant vs. Lebron, Love vs. Green, and Curry vs. Kyrie, the Warriors might actually find a way to effectively stop Cleveland in a way the Eastern Conference couldn’t.  By using arguably the best bench in the NBA, Golden State could eventually prevent key starters and bench players, like J.R. Smith, Kyle Korver, and Richard Jefferson, from capitalizing on the tough matchups against their big 3 by pairing them with important role players like Klay Thompson, Andre Iguodala, and even Ian Clark. Essentially, the keys to Golden State continuing their historic playoff run and earning their second championship in 3 years (or Kevin Durant’s first NBA title ever) is to use their phenomenal bench to slow down Cleveland’s offense, regardless of who is the most prolific scorer that night.  Also, if Golden State can replicate Boston’s constantly aggressive and unrelenting style of play, which outmatched Cleveland’s in game 3 of the Eastern Conference Finals, then there should be no excuse as to why the Warriors cannot win the 2017 NBA Finals and help prove to the rest of the league why they are one of the greatest to ever play postseason basketball.

Don’t let Vegas fool you, Cleveland is definitely the real deal this year. This playoff roster is easily the best postseason team in franchise history and should not be overlooked, despite Golden State’s successes thus far. Only losing 1 game en route to the NBA Finals, and exemplifying a play style featuring Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love playing some of their best basketball of their careers (and showcasing a Lebron James who seems to somehow still continue to get better year after year despite his age), Cleveland will not go down easily, if they do somehow lose to the Warriors.  Not to sound redundant, but the keys to Cleveland being successful in the NBA Finals is a strong performance from their big 3 and Tristan Thompson. The matchup between Thompson and Pachulia is one sided to say the least.  If Tristan Thompson can dominate the boards on both ends of the court against simply poor matchups, Cleveland’s offense will be able to capitalize on second chances on offense and change the momentum of the game through defensive stops.  As far as the big 3 goes, if Kevin Love can continue to assist Thompson on rebounding while also effectively scoring from both mid range and beyond the arc, and Kyrie can handle the matchup against one of the best Point Guards in the league and still perform as the lights out shooter that he truly is, and Lebron can once again prove to the league why he is King James, especially in the playoffs, then the Land will find themselves winning back-to-back NBA titles.  

Tonight, game 1 of one of the best NBA Finals in league history will commence and some of the greatest players in modern basketball history will battle it out for another title and the pursuit of a chance to start a dynasty.  This series will, without a doubt, be a 7 game series.  Not only will the league profit more from this historic matchup lasting a full 7 games, but these two teams are so evenly matched and have a significant rivalry that it’s highly unlikely that we won’t see a game 7 played in Oracle Arena. Even though Vegas odds favor Golden State, and even though the Warriors are on pace to make history as arguably the greatest team to ever play in the NBA Playoffs, and even though ESPN analyst Stephen A. Smith claims that the Warriors will win in 7 (which should further justify my prediction, since Smith is constantly proven wrong when betting against James), the Cleveland Cavaliers will win the 2017 NBA Finals in a 7 game series.  Tune in to ABC tonight at 9pm ET to watch game 1 of what will be the greatest NBA Finals matchup in modern basketball history.

Written by Erik Clark, @_erikclark