NEW YORK (Eagle News) – For the past few years, it seemed inevitable that we found ourselves looking at the Golden State Warriors and the Cleveland Cavaliers in the NBA Finals. Each matchup has been phenomenal and an absolute thrill to watch. From the Warriors breaking the mold in 2015, the Cavs improbable comeback in 2016 against a Warriors team that broke the Chicago Bulls record of most wins in the history of the NBA, to Kevin Durant winning his first ring last season, this rivalry has given fans everything we could ask for.
Beating the Warriors led by Stephen Curry and Durant is no easy feat; neither is breaking LeBron James streak of consecutive NBA Finals appearances. But it’s a new season and the competition has never been this fierce. Here are some teams who can potentially shake things up and dethrone this generation’s greatest rivalry.
Houston Rockets dynamic duo
The Rockets have the greatest chance to give the Warriors a challenge. Led by the MVP front-runner James Harden, the Rockets currently have boasted the best regular season record. The Warriors are currently not far behind, which makes the hunt for the first seed neck and neck.
But what gives the Rockets a chance is their absolute offense. Everyone knows what Harden and Chris Paul can do individually. They are both dominant in their positions and proved doubters that the two can coincide with each other. Houston’s record when CP3 and the Beard play together is 30-3.
What gives them the second best offensive net rating and 10th defensive net rating in the league according to stats.nba.com is their all-around players.The Rockets have put together what seems like the perfect role-players for their star backcourt duo. Current Sixth Man of the Year, Eric Gordon looks to win the award again with averages of 18.5 points, 2.3 rebounds and 2.4 assists per game. P.J. Tucker and Trevor Ariza can also knock down the three at a high rate and are tough and versatile defenders that can defend the Warriors best players. Clint Capela has shown to become a good rim-protector with 1.8 blocks per game.
Oklahoma City Thunder and Big Three
The Thunder could possible dethrone the Warriors for three reasons: Carmelo Anthony, Paul George, and Russell Westbrook. Despite being blown out by the Warriors by 32 points in their last match-up, the Thunder has too much talent in their starting lineup to not be able to face the Warriors in a seven-game series.
No one cannot overlook what Westbrook has done after his MVP winning season last year. After the organization acquired All-Stars George and Anthony, Westbrook still carries the team with averages of 25.1 points, 9.5 rebounds, and 10.4 assists per game. Also, the energy and intensity of his play makes him an absolute force to be reckoned with.
George and Anthony have come in to help out the attack. George has become a great second option for Westbrook and a defensive stalwart with 2.4 steals per game and continues to help ease the burden off Westbrook. Anthony went from being the first-option on offense with the Knicks to the third with the Thunder. Though having one of his worst seasons in his long career, Anthony is still putting up 17.2 points and nabbing 5.9 rebounds per game. Steven Adams is one the most underrated players in the league as he provides stability, toughness, and chemistry but with a weak bench in comparison might be the reason the team will fall short.
The underrated Toronto Raptors
Dethroning the King, LeBron James, is as tough as it sounds. James and the Cavs have defeated the Raptors with seemingly ease in the past few playoff appearances. So what gives Toronto a chance this year?
DeMar DeRozan is playing great and should be in the MVP talks. He and Kyle Lowry continue to play at an All-Star level, leading their team to be a contender in the East. However, their their bench is full of young players. They’ve been great and DeRozan and Lowry will continue to be their leaders, but can the other young inexperienced players keep up in the playoffs?
Something else that gives the Raptors and any teams in the East a glimmer of hope against James is the complete remodel of his team. No team made bigger headlines at the trade deadline than the Cavaliers, who acquired Jordan Clarkson, Larry Nance Jr., Rodney Hood and George Hill for the likes of Dwyane Wade, Isaiah Thomas, Derrick Rose and Jae Crowder. The locker room needed a culture change, and that’s what it received.
But will their play on the court have the same effect? The current Cavs team are making up plays on the fly, and only time will tell if they can gel in time for the playoffs. This roster also will rely heavily on the play of James, even more so than usual. Kevin Love will come back from injury and continue to be the stretch-four rebounding monster he is, but the question is if the rest of the team can pick up for what was lost? This Cavs culture change could be an advantage to the Raptors.
What about the much-hyped Boston Celtics?
Superstar Irving is a beast. Arguably the top ball-handler in the league, Irving can go anywhere on the court and score with an array of moves anytime he wants. Put that along with great shooting and the ability to lead a good team, and the genius mastermind of Head Coach Brad Stevens, are the Celtics one of the top teams with a chance to dethrone the Cavs or the Warriors?
They simply don’t have the matchups to compete against the Cavs. All-around, their team is great, but Al Horford doesn’t exactly strike fear. Their other starters consists of a rookie, a second-year player and a “good enough” player at the four. All are having good seasons, respectively, but against the likes of James and Kevin Love, Irving simply needs more help. Next year however, with Gordon Hayward hopefully back at full strength, this team can rise to newer heights.
Conquering the Warriors or the Cavaliers will not be an easy task for any playoff contending team. The Warriors are picking up where they left off with Curry and Durant having MVP caliber seasons, the consistency of Klay Thompson and the defense of Draymond Green. The only thing that can beat the Warriors, are themselves. And of course, whatever roster he has, anyone will have trouble playing against the best player of our generation in James.
Seeing either of these teams not make the NBA Finals would be astonishing, but it will definitely make things interesting.
(Eagle News Service, Ejay Jasmin, EBC New York Bureau)