With only a few games left to be played in the regular season, the start of the 2016 NBA Playoffs is only a few days away. Overall, it’s been a pretty entertaining year for basketball. The Warriors have become the second team in NBA history, behind Jordan’s Bulls to win 70 games and we’ve started to see new stars emerge that we didn’t think was plausible. We have all seen some upsets this season that completely changed the dynamic of the standings. To start, both teams in the New York area (the Knicks and the Nets) have been nothing but a huge disappointment. Both teams got off to an atrocious start and were never able to turn it around. On the other hand teams such as the Boston Celtics, Miami Heat, Portland Trailblazers and Memphis Grizzles have shocked the NBA and will find themselves playing in this year's Playoffs. And of course, this season marked the end of an era, as Kobe Bryant will finish off his 20th and last season as a player in the NBA.
At the top of the Eastern Conference standings are the Cleveland Cavaliers followed by the Toronto Raptors and Atlanta Hawks. The Cavaliers were able to make it out of the East last year to compete in the NBA Finals and it’s starting to seem that way again. Even though the Cavaliers find themselves at the top of the standings, it hasn’t exactly been smooth sailing for them. Their team chemistry still remains questionable and it’s hard to tell whether LeBron James will be able to carry the team like last season. Personally, I predict the Cavaliers to make a second appearance in the Finals this season, but it’s going to take a team effort if they expect to beat a team like the Golden State Warriors or the San Antonio Spurs.
At the top of the Western Conference standings remain the Warriors and it’s pretty much been that way all season long. The West is an extremely competitive conference but I only give a few teams an actual chance of making it to the Finals. Of course, the Warriors are the favorites to win it all but the Spurs, Oklahoma City Thunder and even the Los Angeles Clippers have the capability of shocking the basketball world. The Spurs have the ability to play both big and small ball. They can kick it down low to Lamarcus Aldridge or Tim Duncan or move to a faster pace with Tony Parker and Kawhi Leonard. On the other hand, the Thunder have the ability to stretch out the floor and use their speed as an advantage against the Warriors. With two superstars like Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant the Thunder can potentially beat any team on any given day.
Overall, it’s hard to say who will hoist the Larry O’Brien trophy come this June. There are plenty of capable teams out there who have the ability to win it all this season, the real question is who will show up to the occasion? My prediction is that the Golden State Warriors will come out on top and win their second consecutive world championship. In my mind, the only team that can really test them are the Cleveland Cavaliers. And if the Cavs plan on stopping Steph Curry and the Warriors this year they’re going to have to play near-perfect basketball.
