The NBA playoffs are always an exciting time of the year, although the past three years have had pretty much the same outcome. Like it or not, the chances of having the same championship for a fourth season in a row are high. The Golden State Warriors and Cleveland Cavaliers have developed a great rivalry since LeBron James returned home, and when it’s all said and done, we are most likely going to see these two teams battle once again.
The race in the Eastern Conference has been close all year long, and it looks a little bit different than in previous years. The Philadelphia 76ers are right there in the top half of the playoff standings for the first time in years, largely due to their young stars Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid. The Toronto Raptors have been competitive for years now, but the top seed is something that will benefit them a lot as they will have home court advantage throughout the east playoffs. The Boston Celtics looked as if they would be Cleveland’s biggest threat for most of the year, but now that has changed due to the Kyrie Irving injury. Without Irving, Gordon Hayward, and potentially Marcus Smart, there is a chance the Celtics are unable to even make it out of the first round. This has opened the door wide open for the likely 4-seeded Cleveland Cavaliers. It’s rare to call a 4-seed the favorite to win the conference, but this is a different case. The 1-seeded Raptors underperform in the playoffs just about every year, the 2-seeded Celtics are depleted, and the 3-seeded 76ers just simply are not ready yet—they’re way too young and inexperienced. Although this was the year James might have finally been stopped, it now looks as if he will have an easy road.
The Western Conference was also competitive all year long, as it usually is after the top couple of teams. However, instead of the Warriors running away with the 1-seed like they have for three straight years, the Houston Rockets have dethroned them this year. This is largely due to the injuries of both Kevin Durant and Stephen Curry throughout the season, but either way the Rockets have proven that they should be taken seriously. The Portland Trail Blazers have impressed everyone and have been a surprise to many as they have earned the 3-seed. The rest of the conference has been close all year long, but none of the teams are going to be any match for Houston or Golden State. Much like the Eastern Conference, at the end of the day the Warriors are going to end up right back in the finals and ultimately will take care of the Rockets without any issues.
With the Warriors winning two of the three finals matchups against the Cavaliers, it will be interesting to see if Cleveland can tie it up at two or if Golden State will continue their domination. Curry is already out for the first round of the playoffs, so his health will be a big factor in answering who will win this matchup. If he’s somehow unable to return, the Cavaliers will have a chance to win the title. Yes, only a chance—Kevin Durant could take over any series and has a talented enough team to win without Curry. If Curry is able to return, the Cavaliers have virtually no chance as Golden State will walk right through the playoffs and win for a third time in the last four seasons.