The snow is finally melting, the grass is growing and the NBA Playoffs are here.
Sixteen NBA teams now look to reach immortality and raise the Larry O’Brien Trophy in
mid-June. With every playoff season comes many questions about players, coaches and
teams as they either try to reach expectations set or become Cinderella stories with
nothing to lose. Let’s take a look at some of the biggest questions that will be answered in
the next few months.
Will the “Splash Brothers” shooting stay hot?
The Golden State Warriors feature one of the most exciting duos in the NBA with point
guard Stephen Curry and shooting guard Klay Thompson, better known as “The Splash
Brothers.” Both players ranked top 10 in the NBA in scoring this season with Curry
being sixth with 23.8 points per game and Thompson tying for ninth with 21.7 points per
game. They both were also in the top five for three-point percentage with Curry at fourth and Thompson right behind him in fifth. While they put up outstanding offensive numbers during the regular season, playoff basketball is defined by defense, causing early exits for some high-profile teams. The Warriors’ chances in the playoffs will rely on the shooting of the Splash Brothers. If the duo cannot put up similar offensive numbers, the West’s number one seed might be eliminated early.
Should we take Brad Stevens and his band of misfits seriously?
At the beginning of the season, the Boston Celtics were a team that was predicted to trade
off some big name players — Rajon Rondo, Jeff Green — and tank their way to a lottery pick.
Well, they traded the players but added a few key contributors in Isaiah Thomas and Gigi
Datome who have helped propel the Celtics to the East’s seventh seed. A first-round
matchup of the Cleveland Cavaliers is no easy task, but second-year head coach Brad
Stevens has put together a Coach of the Year worthy season that could narrow the gap.
Don’t sleep on the Celtics, as they look to make some noise in the playoffs and start to build towards what looks like a bright future.
Will Houston and Chicago finally live up to their expectations?
The Houston Rockets made one of the largest moves in NBA free agency a few seasons
ago when they signed center Dwight Howard to a multi-year contract to team up with
superstar shooting guard James Harden. On paper this duo should be enough for a deep
playoff run, but will they finally live up to the hype? The East has a similar team looking
to live up to high expectations in the Chicago Bulls. Point guard Derrick Rose appears to
be healthy and alongside superstar shooting guard Jimmy Butler and center Joakim Noah,
they should have no excuse not making the Eastern Conference Finals.
Should we expect a Spurs vs. LeBron rematch?
It’s LeBron James’ and the San Antonio Spurs’ NBA; everyone else is just playing in it.
It should be no surprise to anyone if the San Antonio Spurs and a LeBron James-led Cleveland Cavaliers square off in the NBA Finals for a third straight season. Both teams got off to a subpar start in the 2014-2015 NBA season, but seem to be gearing towards playing at a championship caliber level as of late. There would be a number of great themes and comparisons to this matchup. How would the less experienced, but younger and more athletic Cavaliers team matchup against the NBA’s ultimate model of consistency
in the Spurs? Will Tim Duncan tie Jordan in championships or will LeBron win his third
and get halfway to MJ? This is the NBA Finals I predict, but for the series winner and
NBA champion? It will be the Spurs. Cleveland is not as good of a team as last year’s Miami Heat team and even though the Spurs are getting older and older, they’re still the best team in the NBA.