1. Atlanta Hawks
They were the class of the NBA last year, but need to find a way past Cleveland.
2. Miami Heat
Health and having Goran Dragic for the whole season will help.
3. Washington Wizards
They’re a solid team, but they just can’t seem to put it together in the playoffs.
4. Charlotte Hornets
Being an afterthought might be a good thing for them.
5. Orlando Magic
Scott Skiles brings an instant culture change to a sagging franchise. Continue reading
1. Cleveland Cavaliers
A lot of money was spent to get a championship in Cleveland.
2. Chicago Bulls
With an offensive minded head coach, maybe the Bulls go on an upswing.
3. Milwaukee Bucks
The roster is incredibly deep to compete in the top tier of the conference.
4. Indiana Pacers
The only reason to watch them is to see how Paul George does.
5. Detroit Pistons
This is Stan Van Gundy’s team and he’ll have to make the most out of it. Continue reading
1. Toronto Raptors
Easily the class of the division with an exceptional roster from top to bottom.
2. Boston Celtics
The surprise team in the East last year will build off that success.
3. Brooklyn Nets
They’re a bubble team that will rely heavily on Brook Lopez to keep them competitive.
4. New York Knicks
A somewhat disappointing offseason has New York waiting to see who they can get next year.
5. Philadelphia 76ers
Clearly they are still rebuilding and there’s no end in sight. Continue reading
Forty years is a long time between titles. That’s how long it has taken the Golden State Warriors to win another NBA Championship. Continue reading
2. Cleveland Cavaliers vs. 1. Golden State Warriors
Easily the two best players in the NBA, LeBron James and Stephen Curry, will be dominating the headlines of this years Finals matchup. They have both been phenomenal in the playoffs. The questions will always come down to the supporting cast for each teams superstar. Cleveland has a banged up Kyrie Irving who can still provide needed scoring in support of LeBron. J.R. Smith and Iman Shumpert have been excellent pieces in the scoring and defensive departments respectively. Matthew Dellavedova has been a nuisance for previous opponents, but has been a big part of this teams playoff success with Irving banged up. Timofey Mozgov and Tristan Thompson have done a great job provided a post presence mostly in the rebounding department. Mozgov is the more polished offensively threat, but his opportunities come from second and third chances.
The Warriors have been the surprise team in the Western Conference. Klay Thompson and Draymond Green have been a great complement to Curry’s MVP season. Green is a solid defender, but has become a great all-around player on both ends. Thompson is a deadly sharp shooter who has improved is defensive prowess this season. Harrison Barnes and Andre Iguodala are important complements who provide excellent defense and can be scoring threats when needed. The most important part of the Warriors scheme in this series will be containing LeBron James. They’ll be hard pressed to stop him, but they must keep him out of the paint. If the Warriors want to complete this incredible season they will need to make LeBron a jump shooter.
Players to Watch: G Kyrie Irving and F Draymond Green
Who Wins: Cavaliers in 7 games
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