And then ... there were....

And then there were two. That is two winners. A Eastern Conference Champion and a Western Conference Champion. Now given the opportunity to battle for the World Championship. Yes. The moment every NBA fan has been waiting for..... has arrived. But how did these teams get on “The BIG stage”?

For one thing the greatness of LeBron James can never be questioned. His arrival to Cleveland was spot on. The Cleveland Cavaliers just a season ago received the number one pick in the NBA draft is now a team contending for a title. That just doesn’t happen everyday. On the flip side the Golden State Warriors were considered one of the top offensive teams for two consecutive seasons, but weren’t able to make it over "the hump" of the post season. The season they changed coaches... they're in the finals?....

The best player in the world vs. the MVP……. that doesn't make since.  Yes, I will repeat  “The BEST PLAYER IN THE WORLD vs THE MVP”.  Some viewers that aren’t avid basketball fans might question the logic in that statement. Steph Curry was the league MVP for the 2014-2015 season but he was not the best all around player. To better explain this statement I will make it simple. Steph Curry doesn’t lead the league in ast., rebounds, or triple doubles there for he isn't the best player in the world. This isnt to disrespect the talent of and ability of Steph Curry. He isnt 6’9, 300 pounds, nearly impossible to match-up against…. The list goes on ......but you get the point. Steph Curry just isn't that guy, this doesn't mean he isn't among the top 5 all around players in the league. Steph Curry makes an impact on the game but has yet to show his will to “carrying his team on his back to lead them to victory”.

This leads to the team dynamics in this years finals …..Steph Curry hasn’t prove'n he can single handedly will his team to victory…. Why is that? The Warriors are comprised of multiple players outside of the “splash brothers” that compliment the work of the back court duo, specifically the acrobatics of Steph Curry. This was proven in the playoffs when the Warriors took on the Rockets. Steph Curry was injuried at the beginning of the second quarter of game four.  During his absence the team rallied together as Klay Thompson erupted for 15 points in the final 7 minutes of the half to cut the deficit to 10. The team would also receive contributions from Draymond Green, Shaun Livingston and Leandro Barbosa. The run took place while Steph Curry was not on the floor. The argument throughout the season “The warriors could still be a playoff team without Steph Curry” was proven in that very moment.

On to their opponent the Cleveland Cavaliers....... the narratives that have followed the Cavaliers all season are“ This is LeBron’s team”, “LeBron is running the show in Cleveland”. Both of these statements without a doubt are true ….. I wouldn't say they are 100 % true but with the best player in the World on your team why wouldn't you allow him to “run the show”. When you have an executive, coach, and the best player in the world packaged into one person ….. its safe to say your team is in good hands.

The team dynamics with the Cavaliers have changed throughout the season. The way they have jelled in the post season is unmatched but wasn't always the case during the regular season. The team over the pasted few month ironed out their communication hardships to lean together in light of the playoffs .... so.... Does this mean they have a legit chance of winning the championship? That has yet to be prove'n.....

On to predictions….. A.K. A.  my thoughts of what will happen. Based on what has transpired this post season, it is the Cavaliers Championship to lose. I think ultimately the series will go seven games but I believe the Cavaliers will come out on top. They have played the most consistent out of any team this post season this post season. Defensively they have completely shut players down which I expect them to do with Steph Curry. I believe the Cavaliers have a few players they can throw at Steph Curry on defense. Only one team the Warriors have faced this post season had a player that could defend Steph Curry. Mike Conley of the Memphis Grizzlies did an excellent job on Curry the first three games of the series before fatigue took over. The fatigue factor when guarding a player of Curry’s caliber will be very important especially when you have a few guys that could defend him fairly well. The Cavaliers will rotate multiple guys on him,which is something Memphis was not able to do. This will be very important to slow down the Warriors. 

My main point here is the Cleveland Cavaliers will win the series in seven games or less. In order for this to happen they either have to win both game one and two or split the first two games. They cannot go down 0-2 headed back home for game three.  (If the warriors go up 2-0 they will win the series)