State your case: Who will be in the NBA Finals?
Jaden Johnson – @jadenjohns0n
Houston Rockets vs. Cleveland Cavaliers
While my mind agrees with Daniel that the Warriors will be the team coming out of the West, my heart says it will be the Rockets. You’ve probably heard the stat about the Rockets being 42-3 with Chris Paul, James Harden, and Clint Capela play together, but think about that for a minute. That’s not just really good, that’s insane. Spanned out over an entire season, that would equal less than six losses. Beyond that, they are a deep, guard-heavy team which is built well to take on a Golden State team with Steph Curry’s health still up in the air.
In the East, there are a lot of intriguing options. I would not be shocked to see Boston, Philadelphia or Toronto come out on top. however, if the past seven years have taught me anything, it’s to never pick against LeBron. Even despite a blowout loss at home in game one against Indiana, LeBron and the Cavs have a proven pedigree of playoff success and I feel like it would be silly to bet against them.
Daniel Hansen – @thegranddanny
Golden State Warriors vs. Philadelphia 76ers
It’s the Warriors’ world and we’re all just living in it. Injuries are concerning, but come the conference finals, Steph Curry should be relatively healthy along with the rest of the team. For all the hype around Houston this season, I still think it’s a bad idea to discount a team that can trot out a lineup of Curry-Thompson-Iguodala-Durant-Green. Golden State has coasted in the regular season, and it’s certainly showed, but there’s enough talent on that roster to be able to flip the switch. Besides, do you really want to count on Harden and Paul to deliver in a 7-game playoff series against the Warriors?
In the Eastern Conference, it’s basically a bloodbath, and you could make a legitimate argument for any team to emerge from that carnage and make the Finals. So why not choose the hottest team in the East? The Sixers haven’t lost since March 13, have the NBA’s best defensive rating over the final 15 games of the regular season, and have the easiest path the Finals. The Bucks a largely jumbled mess that can’t realistically challenge Philly over seven games. Boston can hardly field a full team anymore. Toronto consistently falls apart in the playoffs. Cleveland’s defense can’t stop an out-of-control Hot Wheels car. Is there any team in there you can definitely say can beat Philly four games out of seven?
Matt Harris – @snowmatt1417
Houston Rockets v. Toronto Raptors
Yes, Toronto is a historically horrible playoff team. Yes, this a prediction that throws upsets to the wind. Yes, I do hate Ben Simmons, thank you for asking. Nevertheless, these are not your daddy’s (or even your slightly older brother’s) Raptors. Kyle Lowry and DeMar DeRozan are tearing it up, and Toronto is hitting the postseason this year with LeBron-like determination. They will most certainly have to get past the white-hot Sixers at some point, but they have experience and a slight edge in star power on their side. Philly’s streak disguises their youth.
Houston has nearly the same argument. It’s finally their time. Chris Paul maintains his ability to raise the performance of everyone around him with his leadership and court vision, and that means that James Harden can go into overdrive every single game because he wants to, not because he has to. Like Jaden said above, the trio of Paul, Harden, and Clint Capela is bonkers. They will inevitably face the defending champion Warriors, but Houston has the weapons to take on Goliath this time around, and Chris Paul will be hungrier than the entire Golden State roster.