You just know NBA Commissioner Adam Silver could barely keep his butt in his chair and contain his excitement during every single bucket of Stephen Curry’s Game 7 fifty-point masterpiece against the Sacramento Kings. The NBA struck gold with what will be the most watched, most expensive, and most narrative-rich second round series ever.

The beauty of this tug-of-war is that there’s a little bit here for everyone. The LeBron-Steph matchup is a casual fan’s dream. The tactical chess match between coaches Steve Kerr and Darvin Ham will be fascinating for Xs and Os guys to follow. LeBron fans need to see their GOAT finally beat Steph in a series for the first time in 7 years, while Steph fans want to kill the narrative that their GOAT needs Kevin Durant to take down LeBron. Even my mom was curious about my feelings towards the series. 

Here are my initial questions for both teams ahead of Tuesday’s Game 1.

1. Can LeBron/Anthony Davis match Steph’s consistency?

We more or less know what Steph is going to give Golden State every game. He’s healthy, playing at an MVP-level, and clearly the best player in the world. He’s going to get his 30+ points, and his gravity is going to create easy buckets for his teammates. 

For the Lakers, it’s not that cut-and-dry, the biggest question mark being LeBron. In March, two doctors recommended LeBron have season-ending surgery after injuring his right foot. Since his return, he’s averaged 24/9/6 on 48% shooting…for anyone else, that’s elite. For LeBron, that’s middling. His performance over six games against Memphis was uninspiring — he didn’t have that explosiveness to drive past the likes of Xavier Tillman and get to the cup. LeBron over relied on his three-point shot in the series, but connected on just 8 of his 41 attempts…that’s less than 20%. Gross.

In this clip, you see good rim pressure from Schroeder (one of his biggest offensive strengths) and a nice extra pass from Rui Hachimura. These are the looks the Warriors will live with from LeBron, but the looks LeBron wants to take to conserve his legs. He has to knock these down at a 35%+ rate to keep the Golden State defense honest. 

I don’t know what LeBron we are getting — the pre-injury 30 points per-game player or the post-injury 38 year old shell of himself. To make matters worse for the Lakers, Anthony Davis has shown the propensity to drift in and out of series offensively. In Games 2 and 4 against Memphis, AD had just 13 points (4-14 shooting) and 12 points (4-13 shooting) respectively. The Lakers need his scoring, but the Warriors have the bodies to throw at AD — expect Draymond Green and Kevon Looney to be extremely physical with AD, trying to make him uncomfortable and give the 7-footer 40 minutes of living hell in the paint. 

Malik Beasley screens for AD to get him going downhill against Looney. Looney does an excellent job of absorbing the first bump from AD and staying vertical after the spin move. Notice the elite defensive timing from Draymond, committing to AD as AD is going through his spin move so he doesn’t have time to see and adjust to Draymond’s help. Draymond will throw doubles at AD all series as long as Jarred Vanderbilt, a non-shooting threat, is on the floor. 

If Steph is by far the best player on the floor in this series, the Warriors will run away with this one, but if LeBron/AD can consistently be those elite versions of themselves, the star power tide shifts to the Lakers. But you can’t have lapses against the Warriors, they will make you pay. And one thing is for damn sure — Steph Curry will make you pay.

2. How do the Lakers match up/guard Golden State?

Similarly, we more or less know how the Warriors will match up with the Lakers. Andrew Wiggins’ assignment will be LeBron, Looney will draw Anthony Davis, and Draymond will roam off of Jarred Vanderbilt to double the Lakers superstars and force Vanderbilt to make plays. The Warriors will sit in drop coverage and force the Lakers to make pull up jump shots. 

But for Darvin Ham, there are many different ways he could go in terms of matchups. Vanderbilt is the Lakers’ best “point-of-attack” defender. He should draw the Steph matchup — he has the strength and length to TRY and contain Steph’s rim pressure. 

Elite stuff from Vando here during his time with Minnesota earlier this season, this is where his value lies. He pressures Steph 75 feet from the basket, contains the drive, and uses his length to generate a steal after forcing Steph to give the ball up. 

Similar to Draymond on Vanderbilt at the other end, LeBron will likely face Draymond and play the “free safety” role and force Draymond to make outside shots. AD will battle with Loon down low, and Reaves’ ability as an off-ball chaser probably gets him the Klay Thompson assignment. That leaves De’Angelo Russell on Wiggins — this will be a massive Andrew Wiggins series, he has been excellent as a release valve from Steph/Klay traps, and has the strength and height advantage over DLo.

These matchups are far more worrisome from LA’s perspective. Does LeBron have the stamina/foot speed to keep up with Draymond’s dribble handoffs? Can DLo stifle Wiggins despite physical disadvantages? Can Davis keep Looney off the glass?

I expect the Lakers to “top-lock” Steph and Klay, meaning they will stand between the man and the screen, inducing the Splash Brothers to cut to the rim rather than letting them curl off screens. The Lakers want to limit the three-point attempts and funnel Steph and Klay into AD or LeBron’s rim protection. That mid-range/floater shot from 8-12 feet could be there early for the Warriors.

3. Who wins the battle of the boards: Anthony Davis or Kevon Looney?

With the Lakers funneling players toward the paint, AD will be forced to leave Looney’s body and contest early. Looney is so adept at getting inside position the moment AD takes that first step toward the driver. The Lakers have to gang-rebound to keep Looney off the offensive glass, where he dismantled the Kings in that third quarter with back-breaking offensive rebound after offensive rebound. If LeBron’s not gassed chasing Steph and Klay off Draymond dribble hand-offs, he’s going to be exhausted battling to keep Looney off the glass. 

4. Can the Warriors pull Anthony Davis away from the rim?

This feels like a heavy “Steph high pick-and-roll with whoever AD’s guarding” series, whether that be Draymond or Looney or Anthony Lamb (I’m kidding, Warriors fans, relax). Kerr will look to pull AD from the rim as much as possible, making him navigate the perimeter to eliminate his timely shot-blocking prowess. 

You just can’t play drop coverage and hope the guard gets over the screen like AD does here, Steph’s too good, especially in his current form. AD has to play at the level of the screen and drop back as Steph’s man gets back in the picture. Force Iguadala to make a play on the roll or kick back to Draymond at the top of the key.

Ham might adjust by putting AD on Gary Payton II or Moses Moody when Looney isn’t on the floor, forcing the Warriors to run their offense through someone that is not a Splash Brother. Steph was “steph-ortlessly” finishing at the rim against the Kings because Domas Sabonis is not nearly the rim protector Anthony Davis is. The tactical battle between Ham and Kerr to move AD around the chess board will be a key factor.

5. Which team’s “others” will step up?

Jordan Poole needs to wake the hell up; he shot better than 40% in just one of the seven games against Sacramento. He needs to be so much better to make up for his defensive limitations, but so often, you see him over-dribbling or turning the ball over late in games. In Game 7, Poole’s two made threes were both open catch-and-shoot looks. He does not have the leash that Klay Thompson has and he needs to understand that — take shots in the flow of the offense. 

The Lakers will cede open looks to guys like Gary Payton II, Draymond, Moody, and Kuminga and semi-contest Donte Divincenzo and Andrew Wiggins’ jumpers — anybody but Steph and Klay. Can the “others” have to make them pay?

This will definitely be a Dennis Schroeder series for the Lakers. Outside of Vanderbilt, Schroeder is the only guy on the entire Lakers roster that Ham will feel comfortable putting on Steph. He is elite at the point of attack and also great at navigating screens both on and off the ball. His offense brings some question marks, but it wouldn’t be a surprise to see Schroeder get more minutes than DLo this series. 

DLo and Reaves will continue to see a lion’s share of the ball-handling duties — expect the Lakers to put Steph in a bunch of pick-and-roll actions to tire him out and take away his legs, especially LeBron mismatch-hunting Steph. Rui Hachimura will have to continue scoring the ball as prolifically as he did in the Memphis series — the Warriors may give Rui space and dare him to make them pay.

Prediction: Warriors in 5

I went back and forth between 5 or 6 games, but I think the Warriors are the better team with the best player in the series and the better coach. 

The unpredictability of LeBron and AD’s output makes it so hard to pick the Lakers to win this series. I trust this MVP version of Steph more, I trust Klay Thompson to go for 30+ in at least two games of this series, I trust Draymond Green to be elite defensively, I trust Steve Kerr to outcoach Darvin Ham. The Warriors are great at so many things, you don’t get four straight bad quarters from these guys.   

Golden State has the bodies to throw at Anthony Davis, and the Lakers could struggle with Kevon Looney’s size and strength on the glass. It’s hard to bet against LeBron but this version of The King feels more like The Prince. If he can’t punish Golden State’s rim defense, one of their greatest vulnerabilities, his impact on the game is limited to making reads and taking jump shots. The effectiveness of LeBron likely decides this series.

I picked Golden State to go back-to-back before the season and the playoffs started and I’m sticking with it. Give me Golden State over Los Angeles in five games.

Either way, Adam Silver comes out of this series the true winner. 

It has been a while since I have watched an NBA game and thought, “This guy is not going to let his team lose NO MATTER WHAT.” That is exactly how Damian Lillard made me feel as I sat on my couch watching the stone-cold killer in Number 0 erupt for 61 points to put his Trailblazers in the driving seat for a possible playoff run. Honestly, it felt like I was watching Kobe again. 

I texted a friend around when the fourth quarter started and said, “Dame is not losing this one.” He just had that look in his eyes, and everytime he shot the ball, it looked like it was coming off his hands perfectly. Yes, he made an absurd nine threes, but it was the way he tactically got every single one of his 61 points. 

18 free throws attempted, 18 free throws made. Every free throw earned. The way he would come off a dribble handoff at the three point line, into a screen, and the moment he felt contact on his hip, he stops, baits the defender into the contact, forcing the referee to blow his whistle. Three free throws, three points. 

It is extremely James Harden-esque of Dame, playing for the whistle, and it doesn’t always make for the best basketball content, but on August 11, seeing Dame Dolla put his team on his back to scrap for a win against a tough, talented Mavs team, I was loving every second of it. 

He just has the ability to get to his spot whenever he wants. If he dribbles up the court thinking “I want to shoot a three,” he can get that shot up. If he wants to get to the rim, or step back for a midrange J, he can do that too. And don’t blame the Mavericks, they were doing their best out there, I promise you. But when a guy can launch from 30 feet consistently like Damian Lillard can, there isn’t much a defense can do.

You just knew it was his night when his 32 footer with the shot clock winding down bounced off the back rim, took flight to the point where it went so high the cameraman had to zoom out to capture the ball in the screen, and back down seamlessly through the net. The absolute definition of “Shooter’s Touch.” 

I don’t know how you can root against Dame. His commitment to the city of Portland, his humble manner that’s a product of his upbringing, the way he carries himself on and off the court. If I am a diehard Blazers fan, there aren’t a lot of things I wouldn’t do for that man, because he has kept the Blazers relevant since Brandon Roy left. He is everything you want in your franchise player. 

As impressive as he has been, as impressive as his 112 points in his last two games (!!) has been, I am not ready to crown him as the best point guard in the league. There is still that “Baby-Faced Assassin” guy south of Portland, playing golf down in the sunny Bay Area, who honestly puts more fear in my heart than any player I have ever seen. But Logo Lillard is on his heels.

I need to see it in the playoffs. He still needs to prove it on the biggest stage. But if I am a sports better right now, I am putting all my chips on Damian Lillard, because he simply will not let his team fall short of the playoffs. He wants that 8-seed matchup against the Lakers, and I know for a fact LeBron and Anthony Davis are somewhere in the bubble hoping Dame falls short, because I know I would be. That guy is scary, and anything can happen in “Bubble Basketball.”

 

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.