Hoop Talk - NBA Playoffs 2017: Conference Finals Edition

Written by Zeke Perez Jr.

So…remember that notion that the Golden State Warriors and Cleveland Cavaliers might not meet in the NBA Finals for the third straight year? That this year’s playoffs weren’t a foregone conclusion and were actually up for grabs for many of the 16 teams? Well…maybe never mind…
 
Like the Judge Doom death scene in Who Framed Roger Rabbit? that ruined my childhood and scarred me for life, both Golden State and Cleveland completely steamrolled their way to the Conference Finals, sweeping the first two rounds. And while those two teams were getting their eight wins out of the way quickly, their Conference Finals opponents were slogging through their respective series. The San Antonio Spurs needed six games to oust Memphis in the first round and another six to take out Houston in the second. The Boston Celtics had an even tougher going, surviving a close six game series against Chicago in the first round and then going to the wire in a seven game series against Washington.
 
That leaves the Spurs and the Celtics to face two well-rested powerhouses, each hell-bent on building a dynasty. That’s not to say they can’t do it. The Spurs are perennial contenders and the Celtics put together a great season of their own this year. It is to say, though, that they have their work cut out for them. 

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WESTERN CONFERENCE FINALS
Golden State Warriors (1) v. San Antonio Spurs (2)

Game one of this series was very telling. Early on the Spurs looked dominant, building a 25 point lead and showing that they can compete with anybody. Then, in the third quarter, Spurs’ star and leading scorer Kawhi Leonard reinjured his ankle and left the game. The Warriors rallied, putting together an 18-0 run after the injury, ultimately winning the game by two. Kawhi’s health and how the Spurs respond will dictate how the series plays out. San Antonio has persevered without Kawhi earlier in the playoffs, but they’ll need all hands on deck in the WCF. Leonard has already been ruled out for game two, so look for the Warriors to capitalize. Steph Curry and Kevin Durant combined to drop 74 points and 12 rebounds, a pretty scary thought considering how many other playmakers they have on the roster. What should be an intriguing brawl between consistency/fundamentals and superstars/scoring has already gotten off to an unexpected start.
 
Series Prediction: Golden State Warriors in 6 (or in 5 with Kawhi Leonard setbacks)

EASTERN CONFERENCE FINALS
Boston Celtics (1) v. Cleveland Cavaliers (2)

With as good as the Cavs are, it’s hard to imagine them as the seed underdogs. But that’s technically what they are in their showdown with the Celtics. The Cavs’ late season struggles allowed Boston to sneak up and compile the Eastern Conference’s best record. While Boston has had consistent team play and a superstar in Isaiah Thomas, Cleveland far and away has the upper hand in pure roster talent. The four matchups between the two teams were high-scoring affairs, with Cleveland taking three of the four. The Celtics’ one win came when they were able to hold the Cavs to fewer than 100 points. That being said, the Celtics have a few players that can cause matchup problems for the Cavs. They also have a lot of heart and emotion right now to at least make it a series.
 
Series Prediction: Cleveland Cavaliers in 6

Bonus Round: Fun Facts (Kendrick Lamar Themed)

• 'Got Royalty inside my DNA': This trip to the Eastern Conference Finals marks the Boston Celtics’ 34th overall, the second most Conference Finals appearances in NBA history. Two of the other remaining teams are in the top 10 for Conference Finals appearances as well. The San Antonio Spurs now have 14 (sixth best) and the Golden State Warriors now have 13 (seventh best) when including seven franchise appearances as the Philadelphia Warriors or San Francisco Warriors.
• Swimming Pools: The Splash Brothers are splashing away. Steph Curry is leading all remaining postseason players in average three-pointers made, with 4.3 a game. Klay Thompson is a little less splashy right now, but is still contributing 2.0 three-pointers per game (albeit with 36% accuracy).
• The Recipe: As an organization and a coaching staff, the San Antonio Spurs have the recipe to contention year-in and year-out. Coach Gregg Popovich can seemingly lead any given squad into the playoffs. Since he took over in 1996, the Popovich Era has been fruitful to say the least. This year marks the 20th straight season that the Pops-led Spurs have made the playoffs, the longest active streak in any pro sport.  
• The Art of Peer Pressure: Surprisingly, no remaining players are really tearing up stat sheets’ assist columns. With players like Russell Westbrook, John Wall, Rajon Rondo, and Chris Paul eliminated from the playoffs, no remaining players are averaging double digit assists. The active postseason assists leader is Golden State’s Draymond Green with 7.2 assists per game.
• HUMBLE.: As of late, airwaves and Twitter feeds have been full of folks debating whether or not the Golden State Warriors have gotten too cocky. Time will tell if the Warriors can back their confidence up.
• untitled 07- levitate: The Cleveland Cavaliers have a number of players who are levitating and pull rebounds down at a high rate. In fact, of remaining postseason players, the top three rebounds per game leaders are all Cavs: Tristan Thompson (10.6), Kevin Love (9.1), and LeBron James (9.0).