Golden State Warriors: The Road to Another NBA Championship
By Ryan Viera
![Jun 16, 2015; Cleveland, OH, USA; Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) talks to the media after beating the Cleveland Cavaliers in game six of the NBA Finals at Quicken Loans Arena. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports Jun 16, 2015; Cleveland, OH, USA; Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) talks to the media after beating the Cleveland Cavaliers in game six of the NBA Finals at Quicken Loans Arena. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/shape/cover/sport/c328c91d3a3a094577670ae8bd0717279e7702bbcdc3c6d746bf9a2957d69acc.jpg)
NBA Finals: Cleveland Cavaliers
The thought of LeBron James failing to make his sixth straight finals appearance is unsettling and, quite frankly, unlikely. LeBron has become the NBA Finals, and since 2011, his team has represented the Eastern Conference every year.
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While the Cleveland Cavaliers’ record and performance this season has not been what many have thought it could be, it is no secret that LeBron values the regular season less than most super stars probably do.
That is because he has been to the mountain top countless times, and he knows the effort it takes to win an NBA championship, and at the end of the day, as long as you’re in it you have a shot to win it. However, James’ Cavs locked up the Eastern Conference’s number one seed and finished the regular season at 57-25.
All things considered, there are only a few teams that have the capability of giving the Cavs a run for their money in the playoffs, and possibly knocking them off. The Toronto Raptors are perhaps the most viable threat to LeBron’s seventh career Finals apperance, but even they might not have enough skill to get it done. Outside of them, the Atlanta Hawks, Boston Celtics, and Miami Heat all have the capability to push the Cavs to six or seven games, but ultimately the Eastern Conference Championship is Cleveland’s to lose.
That leaves us with a likely NBA Finals rematch between Golden State and Cleveland. As we know, the Warriors took care of the admittedly less-than-healthy Cavaliers in six games last year. LeBron gave the Finals performance of a generation, but without Kyrie Irving or Kevin Love, the odds were too much to overcome.
That is what makes this year just so interesting. If these two squads make it back to the Finals, will we finally get to see a seven game series between these two juggernauts at full strength? The Warriors won both regular season games against the Cavs this season, including a 34-point drubbing of Cleveland at Quicken Loans Arena. But as aforementioned, the regular season games aren’t always indicative of post-season success.
If LeBron could carry a team of role players to a sixth game against the Goliath Warriors, is it possible that a healthy Cavaliers squad could moisten the palms of Golden State and their fans, leaving this year’s championship up for grabs in a winner take all seventh game?
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Yes, the Warriors are a much more seasoned group this year, and their record breaking regular season shows that, but a seven game series against these two teams is a very real possibility. It’s the NBA Finals, after all, and LeBron views this as the biggest stage.
With a few more weapons in his arsenal, Cleveland just may have a shot.
Prediction: Warriors win series 4-3 over Cleveland