Cavaliers Will Go to 2018 Finals Again
The almost anticipated Finals of this century ended on Mon nighttime in dramatic fashion. The Warriors staved off the Cavs in Game 5, ending their historic postseason 16–ane. Steph Curry received his redemption, Kevin Durant his band, and the NBA a budding dynasty.
The scene in the Cavs locker room was certainly bleaker than that of the Warriors, who historic their starting time title at home since moving to Oakland. LeBron dropped to 3–5 all-fourth dimension in the Finals despite another brilliant performance, and again questions will ascend regarding the strength of LeBron'south supporting cast.
The trilogy is at present over, with the Dubs holding a ii–1 lead over The Rex. But will this year's gentlemen's sweep be the last fourth dimension the Warriors and Cavs see in the Finals? Let'southward stare into our proverbial crystal ball, and assess the odds of Cavs-Warriors IV a year from at present.
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Golden State Warriors
The Dubs' demolishment of their contest in the playoffs proved what many had wondered since Durant signed on July quaternary. There are no true challengers to Golden Country'due south authorization, not even the greatest player of this generation.
Some would argue Kawhi Leonard and the Spurs would have given the Warriors a run for their coin in the Western Conference Finals—specially considering San Antonio'south 23-point lead in Game i before Leonard's injury—merely that's a mere hypothetical. Golden Country won 31 of their last 33 games and steamrolled through every team in their path. There's no doubting the best team won the championship this year.
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Only volition we run across more than of the same next season? The curt respond: probably. The core four of Durant, Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Light-green will be back one time over again—assuming Curry and Durant either re-sign or pick-upwards player options—and Steve Kerr is a master at wringing the most from his demote stable. There'due south just also much scoring talent to defend at one time, and when locked in defensively, there may not exist a more than cohesive unit of measurement in the league.
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There volition certainly be challenges, though. Golden State has eight free agents bated from Curry, many who were integral to the Warriors' success over the past iii years. Onetime Finals MVP Andre Iguodala will be looking for one more than sizable contract, while office players Shaun Livingston and Ian Clarke could find lucrative offers away from the Bay Area. Centers Zaza Pachulia and JaVale McGee will as well both be free agents. While the core will be the same, the Dubs depth could look far different next year.
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Only even with a protracted bench, at that place look to be few teams in the West who could give Gilded State a playoff claiming. Utah is a limited agglomeration offensively who might lose its best player in free bureau, and the Clippers are still the Clippers. The one-man-bands in Houston and Oklahoma City wowed fans during the regular season, only failed to carry their respective teams to the conference finals.
The only truthful challenger looks to be San Antonio. Gregg Popovich will keep to run the Spurs like a well-oiled machine as Kawhi Leonard makes another run at the MVP, and fifty+ wins is a almost-guarantee. And things could exist really interesting this off-season if the Spurs tin can wrangle Chris Paul abroad from the West Declension. The Indicate God plays like the ideal Spur, a choice-northward-curl maestro with incredible vision. Pair him with Leonard, and the Spurs would have their own answer to Golden Land's lethal 2-man game with Curry and Durant. The coin is nonetheless on Paul returning to Los Angeles, but a motility to the Alamo City would create a formidable foe for Golden State.
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Cleveland Cavaliers
LeBron James will enter next season equally the favorite to appear in his eighth-straight Finals. No Eastern Conference team has been able to stop the league's best player since he joined the Estrus in 2010, not the Pacers, not the Raptors, and not either iteration of the Celtics. LeBron has steamrolled any competition in his path, a constant presence as the conference scrambles around him.
Paired with star sidekicks Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love along with a litany of knockdown shooters, James currently enjoys a roster tailored to his skillset. And with eight of the Cavs' top nine contributors returning adjacent year, Cleveland can hit the ground running in the regular season. If the core stays healthy, another Finals run volition certainly be in play.
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Equally in the West, there seems to only be one true contender to The Male monarch's crown. The Raptors' best days are behind them, and Washington is still lacking whatever semblance of depth (non to mention Otto Porter's impending costless agency). Milwaukee is yet a couple of years abroad from possible title contention, and Chicago and Indiana may very soon be trading their superstars.
That leaves Boston, whose cupboards are more than than stocked moving forward. The C'due south boast the No. 1 overall pick in the 2017 draft, a bevy of immature assets, and cap infinite to kick. They'll begin costless agency past making a run at Gordon Hayward—who played for Brad Stevens at Butler—and GM Danny Ainge could very well brand a play for Paul George or Jimmy Butler via trade. Add Markelle Fultz with the No. 1 pick, then add one of Hayward, George or Butler, and Boston'south roster becomes pretty formidable. It may not exist plenty to topple Cleveland, but a serial betwixt the two teams would exist much more than competitive than this year'southward five-game snoozer in the Eastern Conference finals.
Source: https://www.si.com/nba/2017/06/13/nba-finals-rematch-cavaliers-warriors-lebron-james-kevin-durant
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