As I am writing this, the Golden State Warriors are trailing to the Oklahoma City Thunder in a 3-1 series. The unanimous MVP, Stephen Curry, has not been performing to expectations. The Cavs are 3-2 in a close series with the Raptors. For this article, we are going to imagine a Cavs/Thunder finals.
The Cavaliers, led by LeBron James, have a lot of talent. LeBron James, Kyrie Irving, and Kevin Love are three of the top players in the league. They finished 57-25 as the 1-seed in a watered down Eastern Conference. Although they have a lot of raw talent, they still haven’t mastered a team chemistry. Their opponents in this potential matchup would be the Oklahoma City Thunder. The Thunder, led by the dynamic duo of Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant, finished 55-27 as the 3-seed in the record setting Western Conference.
The biggest threat in the finals in a Cavs/Thunder matchup will be Russell Westbrook. Westbrook’s athleticism and quickness tore apart the Spurs and at the time I wrote this, had been destroying the Warriors. Russell Westbrook posted games of 36-11-11, 30-12-8, and 27-12-6 (points-assists-rebounds) against the Warriors. Against the Spurs he posted games of 35-9-11, 31-9-8, and 28-12-3. Plain and simple, the Cavs do not have the weapons and chemistry to stop Westbrook, who has been the MVP of the playoffs so far.
Another problem for the Cavs, if matched up with the Thunder, is the Thunder frontcourt. Serge Ibaka, Kevin Durant, Enes Kanter, and Steven Adams make up the best defensive frontcourt in the league. Simply put, the Cavs will not be able to successfully drive the ball against the monster frontcourt of the Thunder, leaving them without one of their go to offensive plays. While the Cavs have been on fire from beyond the arc, they will still be going against a tier of defense they haven’t yet seen in the playoffs.
Overall, the Thunder have been a hotter, more complete team in the playoffs. They took down the San Antonio Spurs and are on the verge of pummeling the team with the best record in a single NBA season. When watching the playoffs, it is clear nobody wants to win more than Russell Westbrook. He hunts down every rebound, shoots with an unprecedented confidence, dishes more dimes than a coin star machine, and verbally gets his teammates amped up. His quickness and physicality is unmatched and uncontainable. If this wasn’t scary enough for the Cavs, they still have to worry about Kevin Durant. Kevin Durant also has an uncanny desire to win, and is seeking revenge against the man that crushed his hopes of winning the 2012 NBA finals (LeBron James). The intensity and desire to win of these two Thunder players outmatches that of the Cavs. LeBron is the only member of the Cavs that plays with this type of intensity, and even his isn’t as powerful as Westbrook or Durant, who are both seeking their first championships.
There’s something about not having a championship ring that drives a player to be better than they ever have before. I predict that Westbrook & Durant will lead their team to victory, bringing their city a banner and sending the king into a state of inner turmoil.
