Never have the NBA Playoffs been as pointless as they are in 2017.
We knew the Warriors and Cavaliers were the two best teams in the league, destined for an NBA Finals rematch. We didn’t know they were going to go all Jackie Chan on their postseason opponents, karate chopping heads off in four emphatic sweeps. The Pacers, Trail Blazers, Raptors and Jazz have been humiliated in the first two rounds.
Golden State is playing as good of basketball as they’ve ever played. A 15.25 point differential in the first two rounds of the playoffs is absolutely absurd. And yes, Portland had an injured Jusuf Nurkic and Utah had a banged up Rudy Gobert. George Hill hurt his toe.
Frame it however you need to frame it: The Warriors are going in on other teams with a wrecking ball. Draymond Green has been the team’s MVP so far in the postseason — 3-point barrages were followed up with a triple-double in Game 4. Kevin Durant has become the master at picking the right time to take over. He shoved the spoon back in the mouths of Utah with timely buckets in the third quarter when needed. After being humbled last NBA Finals and maneuvering his game to fit KD, Steph Curry is playing his cocky brand of basketball and remains option No. 1 on offense. Klay Thompson, who went otherworldly in the Western Conference Finals a year ago, hasn’t even gotten hot this postseason. Yet, this team is scorching.
“It’s more than just the talent they have as a group,” Jazz coach Quin Snyder told reporters Monday night in Utah. “They all believe in each other, and they’re willing to sacrifice.”
This time around, there is no fretting about Harrison Barnes having a negative impact on the game. So far, there’s less of a fear of Draymond losing control of his emotions. There’s the added bonus of JaVale McGee and his automatic infusion of energy. There’s David West’s stronghold early in the second and fourth quarters as a passer and defender. Ian Clark is always looking to score. Andre Iguodala was playing with an injured back last NBA Finals. If he’s healthy, it frees up everyone else so much more. There are less worries in 2017 and more assets at Golden State’s disposal. This is the best the Warriors have ever been.
A mere 2,646 miles away on the shores of Lake Erie, the Cleveland Cavaliers are equally playing out of their minds. LeBron James is so unbeatable at the moment, free agent Kyle Lowry is reportedly considering switching over to the Western Conference. James has now won a road playoff game in 28 straight series, two or three more could be on the way in Oakland come June. Against Toronto, LBJ averaged 36 points on 57.3 percent shooting from the field, 48.1 percent from 3-point range. He hasn’t entered Michael Jordan territory — he is Michael Jordan.
It ain’t just him, either. The King has actually been deferring to Kyrie Irving down the stretch, and the point guard is shining. Cleveland hit 61 3s against the Raptors. Years of stockpiling 3-point ammo in an arms race against the Warriors is showing. Kyle Korver and Channing Frye have been essential to the operation — although if you remember, Frye was a complete non-factor last NBA Finals. Much like Thompson, Cleveland is still firing on all cylinders without a key component: Kevin Love. His scoring has dipped from 19 points per game to 13. Tristan Thompson and J.R. Smith remain role players who could flip a Finals game in the direction of the Cavs. Deron Williams is more stead than Matthew Dellavedova. There’s no longer glaring weaknesses in any spot of the rotation.
“They are playing amazing,” Draymond said of Cleveland postgame in Utah.
Both teams are healthy. Both teams are raging with confidence. And both teams are so above the competition, they could both be undefeated heading into June. Oh, baby. This is setting up to be a trilogy for the ages — more anticipation than any Star Wars or Indiana Jones fanboy could dream about.
There are X-Factors, for sure. The Cavaliers don’t disrespect Mike Brown, but LeBron and Tyronn Lue will try and throw matchup problems at him much more than they would Steve Kerr. Curry vs. Irving in a do-or-die Game 7 could end up swaying the outcome again. Cleveland’s defense has been Swiss cheesy most of the regular season, and if they show any holes in the Finals, the Warriors will slice. With that being said, Golden State has to be careful about getting into shootouts with the Cavs, especially on the road. Three years removed from their first championship bout, the Warriors have become a team much more capable of beating you without the 3-ball.
What if it goes to Game 7 and Kerr decides to return to the sidelines just then? What if Durant actually slows down LeBron? Are the Cavaliers really the underdog going in the game with LeBron playing the way he is? The drama is going to more riveting than ever before.
The point is, Warriors fans, don’t be overly enthusiastic about sweeping both Portland and Utah. It’s encouraging to be playing this well, and not extending out the series. Rest is a wonderful word in the NBA world.
But the same exact dominance is happening in Cleveland. The new standard in the first two rounds is sweeping your opponents. The Warriors and LeBron are going tit-for-tat. Just as they will one month from now.
