With just two weeks left in the regular season, the playoff seeding battle is heating up. While both first and second seeds are both firmly set in the Western Conference, seeds 3-8 are fighting it out for home court advantage. Let’s examine each Western Conference playoff team, and find out if they stand a real chance against their conference opponents.

Houston Rockets: Prior to the season’s start, most fans, analysts, and NBA experts thought no one could challenge the NBA champions, the Golden State Warriors. Now, the Rockets have clinched the first seed, currently with an astounding 61-14 record. All questions about James Harden’s greatness have been put to bed, as he looks to be the probable recipient of this year’s NBA MVP award, deservedly so. Chris Paul has been a worthy sidekick to Harden, controlling the game while Harden rests. Watch out for this Rockets team, as they could be hoisting the Larry O’Brien trophy come June.

Golden State Warriors: The Warriors have been struggling with injuries all season. Stephen Curry’s ankle problems have returned, and as he got back from an ankle injury against the Atlanta Hawks, he tore his MCL in the second quarter. With Kevin Durant missing time with a rib injury, Klay Thompson a hand injury, and Draymond Green with a variety of issues, they still have a second best league record 54-21. This team may be banged up right now, but if their 4 All Stars can become healthy, they could be back-to-back champions.

Portland Trail Blazers: Damian Lillard has made a late surge for MVP, averaging around 29 points per game. Lillard and McCollum led the Blazers on a 16 game winning streak, pushing them up into the 3rd seed. They are extremely hot right now, and no team wants to play them, especially because of Lillard and McCollum’s ability to go for 50 points on any given night. They may not be able to take down the Rockets or the Warriors, but they will be able to give them a tough series.

San Antonio Spurs: The Spurs players have come to terms with the fact that Kawhi Leonard is not coming back this season. The doctors have cleared him to play, but he does not feel at 100%. Lamarcus Aldridge, after a lackluster two season with the Spurs, has now put them on his back, averaging 23 points. Gregg Popovich, arguably the greatest coach of all time, has kept this Spurs team afloat without Leonard. The playoffs are all about star power though, and the Spurs just do not have enough of it. They may be able to steal a game from a higher seed, but that may be it for the Popovich-led Spurs.

Oklahoma City Thunder: The Oklahoma City Thunder have been extremely up and down, at times looking like real contenders with two wins against the Warriors. They also have some extremely bad losses to bad teams like the Suns and Nets. While they are one of the better defensive teams in the league, their bench is one of the worst in the league. Carmelo Anthony has been more of a negative than a positive, shooting a career low 40.5% from the field. If coach Billy Donovan can find the real Carmelo Anthony, while Paul George and Russell Westbrook can play to the best of their ability, they have proven they can be one of the best teams in the league.

New Orleans Pelicans: When Demarcus Cousins went down with a season ending Achilles injury, everyone decided the Pelicans would not make the playoffs. Anthony Davis clearly begs to differ, averaging 31 points, 12 rebounds, and 3.5 blocks since the All-Star break. While Jrue Holiday has been phenomenal on both sides of the ball, the Pels just do not have enough to compete with any top 4 seeds in the Western conference. Anthony Davis might be able to steal a game or two, but it will not be enough to win a series.

Minnesota Timberwolves: Jimmy Butler’s injury late in the season changed the Timberwolves from being a fourth seed to being a seventh seed. Karl Anthony Towns has been putting up insane numbers, just recently going for 56 points against the Atlanta Hawks. Right now, they are positioned to face a banged up Golden State Warriors team. If Jimmy Butler can return at 100%, they can give the Warriors some problems. The Wolves may not win the series, but the Rockets, Warriors, and the Blazers should hope not to see them in the first round.

Utah Jazz: Utah has been surprising throughout the season. No one thought they can create much noise, losing star Gordon Hayward in free agency. But suddenly, 13th pick Donovan Mitchell emerged, and suddenly became a contender for Rookie of the Year. He has carried them to the 8th seed in the playoffs. Rudy Gobert has been incredible on the defensive end, keeping the Jazz at the second best defensive team in the league. The big question is, can you rely on a rookie to lead your team in the playoffs? Mitchell and the Jazz may not win a series, but they can steal a game or two from the Warriors or Rockets.  

The Cleveland Cavaliers lost the NBA Championship to the Golden State Warriors in 5 games, despite their star player LeBron James being the first player to average a triple double in the NBA Finals. Meanwhile, Kevin Durant, who the Warriors added in the offseason, won Finals MVP, and rightfully so. As of now, no team looks close to this Warriors team with 4 all stars and two MVPs. No team looks as though they can challenge the Warriors (if they keep the team together) for the next 4 or 5 years. Many believe that the Cavaliers are the closest team to the Warriors, yet still very far away, so what must the Cavs do in the offseason to get closer to Golden State?

Upgrade the Bench-With the 2017-18 NBA salary cap projected to be $101 million and the luxury tax line at $121 million, it’s pretty clear the Cavs are already WAY over both projections. Cleveland’s bench failed to make an impact for the majority of the Finals. This was quite glaring in Game 5 as Golden State’s bench outscored Cleveland’s 35-7. Even though they are way over the cap, they must try to improve their bench. They need a sixth man facilitator, someone who can come off the bench and create for teammates, similar to what LeBron can do. This is why Deron Williams was brought in, but he showed us in the Finals his career is coming to an end. They need someone like Ty Lawson or Rajon Rondo, who can create off the bench, and maybe move Kyrie to shooting guard, where he can focus on scoring.

Dump Salary for Non-essential Pieces- With the Cavaliers way over the cap and luxury tax line, they might need to create some cap room for other signings. Non-essential players may need to go. Kay Felder and Edy Tavares, who are both earning about 1.5 million, may need to be cut. Richard Jefferson (2.5 million) is nearing the end of his career, and although he was decent in the Finals, it may be time to let him go, as well as his best friend Channing Frye(7.4 million) who played just 11 minutes in the Finals. If the Cavaliers could somehow find a way to trade/dump Frye, Jefferson, Tavares, and Shumpert, they could let go of 21.7 million, which would put them at around 104 million guaranteed money. It still will not get them under the salary cap, and this is assuming no additional salary is brought in with trades. It’s a long shot, but it is a step towards the Warriors.

Get some defenders– This might be the biggest issue for the Cavaliers: their defense. They ranked 22nd in defensive rating last season, which is just not good enough against the Warriors. Their transition defense was horrible in the Finals, giving up about 10 transition buckets per game. They need someone who can shoot the ball, so he will not be a liability on offense, but is mainly in the game to defend. Some names that the front office may look to are Thabo Sefalosha or Tony Allen. Tony Allen cannot shoot, but he has a terrific defensive upside. He may be aging at 35 years old, but he can still provide good defense for 20-25 minutes a game. Thabo Sefolosha. Sefolosha can shoot the 3, although not very well, at 34.5% for his career, but he can play solid defense, and try to guard Kevin Durant. He would be better than Shumpert on both ends of the floor.

Trade for a Superstar– This might be the only way the Cavaliers can catch the Warriors, and that would be to trade for a superstar. The only problem is that the Cavs may need to give up a star to get a star. They definitely will not give up the best player in the world, LeBron James, or 25 year old Kyrie Irving, who could be a potential superstar. The odd man out is Kevin Love, and there are many trades the Cavs front office could explore in return for Kevin Love. The first one they must try is Kevin Love for Paul George. The Pacers will be losing Paul George to free agency in 2018 anyway, so wouldn’t it be better to at least get Kevin Love in return this year, rather than to get nothing in return for 1 more year with Paul George. For the Cavs, Paul George is perfect. It gives you another playmaker, a defender to put on Kevin Durant, another scorer who can put up 30 in his sleep, and you can put LeBron and Kyrie on the bench together without the game getting out of hand. Another player to trade for might be Jimmy Butler. This could happen in a 3 team trade or just a 2 team trade. Jimmy Butler would provide similar impacts to Paul George, as it would give the Cavs another scorer, and worthy defender, and a decent 3 point shooter. Lastly, a controversial trade would be Kevin Love for Carmelo Anthony. There has been a lot of trade talk about Carmelo Anthony, and how the Knicks want him out. There are pros and cons to Anthony on the Cavs. Some pros are that he is another unstoppable offensive force, and he can carry a team with LeBron and Kyrie on the bench. Some cons are that the defense does not get any better, and the team just gets older and older. It seems as though Paul George, Jimmy Butler, or Carmelo Anthony will make a huge impact on the Cavs.

 

 

• Turnovers– The biggest problem for the game was turnovers. The Cavs had a whopping 20 turnovers which led to a massive 21 Warrior points, LeBron having 8, 7 in the first half. This is just unacceptable, as it leads to breakaways with the ball in Durant’s hands, and shooters at the wing. In Game 1, this resulted in 4 wide open dunks for Durant alone. 20 turnovers killed the Cavs, but the Warriors tying an NBA Finals record 4 turnovers all game delivered the dagger. The Cavaliers also had 0 steals. Cleveland cannot play sloppy with the ball, because this lets the Warriors run out on the break, where the transition defense was horrible.
• Rebounding and Second Chance Points– It may look as though the Cavaliers rebounded well, having won the rebounding battle 59-50. But, the Warriors had 14 offensive rebounds. This demolished the Cavs, as the Warriors attempted 106 shots, 20 more than the Cavs. This means that the Warriors had 20 more opportunities to score, and with this offensive juggernaut, that will take you out of the game.
• No-Show Reserves: The Cavaliers reserves were horrible, giving the Big 3 no help. JR Smith had 3 points in 28 minutes. Tristan Thompson was a complete no-show with 0 points and 4 rebounds in 22 minutes. Deron Williams also had 0 points on 4 shots. Kyle Korver had 0 points on 3 shots. Only Richard Jefferson was decent, with 9 points. The Cavs bench missed some decent looks, and Cleveland will not win a game if the bench does not compete.
• Big 3 Outplayed: To win a game in this series, LeBron James and Kyrie Irving have to outplay Kevin Durant and Stephen Curry. In Game 1, this did not happen, as Durant was spectacular, with 38 points, 8 rebounds, and 8 assists. LeBron was good, but not great, which is what they need him to be. He had 28 points, 15 rebounds, and 8 assists, but also 8 turnovers. Curry had 28 points, 10 assists, and 6 rebounds, and outplayed Kyrie with 24 points, 2 assists, and 3 rebounds. Curry and Durant combined for 66 points, and the Cavs Big 3 combined for 67. That is too big of a margin, and if it Curry/KD continue to outplay Kyrie/LeBron, this series will end quickly.

– My Thoughts and Prediction: The Warriors just completely outmatched the Cavs, with Klay Thompson and Draymond Green doing literally nothing offensively. Durant was just amazing, to the point where no one can guard him. His length, quickness, and ability to shoot makes him one of the greatest pure scorers in NBA history. LeBron James played well, but needs to play a lot better for the Cavs to win. The half court defense was decent for the Cavs, but their transition defense was bad, as the Warriors had 27 transition points. For me, I just cannot see anyone beating this Warriors team, as they just have too much firepower. Durant just cannot be stopped, and if Curry keeps shooting like he did in Game 1, the Warriors will not lose a game. Warriors will win in 4 games, and become the first team in NBA History to go 16-0 in the NBA Playoffs.

The Golden State Warriors and the Cleveland Cavaliers look to be headed to a third NBA Finals each, as both teams, as of now, are 7-0 in the playoffs. Both have been showing their dominance in their respective conferences, and it does not look like any other team can put up a fight.

For the Warriors, they swept the Blazers in the first round, no game being close. In the first game, Draymond Green showed his importance to the team, as he posted a near triple double, with 19 points, 12 rebounds, and 9 assists. In the second game at Oracle Arena, the Golden State defense was superb, holding the Blazers to 33% shooting, and only 81 points. The third game was perhaps the most exciting, with the Warriors being down 16 points in the third quarter, rallied back to win 119-113. Finally, Curry put the dagger to the Blazers’ hearts in Game 4, with 37 points, to end their season. The Warriors then moved on to the second round, off of a week’s rest, facing a tired Jazz team that just went to 7 games with the Clippers. The Jazz ran out of gas quickly, and the Warriors played great, with a franchise low 7 turnovers. The second game was also a blowout, as the Warriors won 115-94. The third game was interesting, as the Jazz took their first lead of the series into the half. This did not prevent Kevin Durant, who, while Curry and Thompson were having off nights, exploded for 38 points and 13 rebounds. He did this while trash talking the Jazz mascot and a few fans. As of now, this Warriors team looks to be too much for any team in the Western Conference. You cannot stop their offense, with Klay Thompson, Stephen Curry, and Kevin Durant shooting lights out. On the defensive end, they are superb, led by Defensive Player of the Year candidate Draymond Green. It will be a miracle if this team does not make it to the NBA Finals, barring any injuries.

Meanwhile, the Cavs have had plenty of success as well. Early in a predictions article, I said the Cavs would not make the Finals. Can I take that back? This team has really flipped the switch, especially on defense. Brian Windhorst of ESPN tells us that the Cavs have been practicing defensive schemes, such as the doubling of Paul George and Demar Derozan that we see in this series, all throughout the regular season, just for the playoffs. The Cavs had a shaky start to the playoffs, winning Game 1 vs the Pacers 109-108, with CJ Miles missing a wide open game winner. They then won another close one, 117-111, with the Big 3 combining for 89 points. Then they made a historic comeback in Game 3, erasing the largest halftime deficit of 25 points in NBA history. They then closed it out in Game 4 again, with LeBron making a clutch jumper to seal the sweep. LeBron was excellent in this series, but is outshining himself against Toronto. In Game 1, the Cavs blew Toronto out, LeBron posting 35 points and 10 rebounds. Game 2 put up another Cavs blowout, LeBron meanwhile putting up 39 points on just 14 shots. Game 3 was tightly contested! Well, for the first three quarters. Then, the Cavs went on a 20-3 run to seal the Game 3 victory. LeBron has been playing supernaturally so far in these playoffs, and it doesn’t look like anyone is going to stop him.

A Part III Cavs Warriors Finals looks inevitable. Spurs/ Rockets or Wizards/Celtics are not just going to roll over, but it does not look like any of these teams have enough fire power to put up much of a fight. Everyone get their popcorn out, the Cavs and Warriors are on a collision course aiming right at each other!