I'm really sorry Cavs and Celtics fans, but the Houston Rockets vs the Golden State Warriors really is the deciding series for the NBA championship. You can give all the reasons you want, with the Cavs and the Celtics having a chance. But neither of these teams have a chance beating the high-powered Rockets or Warriors. Whether you are reading this after the series is over, it still doesn't matter. The Western Conference Finals is really the NBA finals.
Let's start off with the Boston Celtics. I got to give it to these set of players who have been playing grade A level basketball, through the injuries of Kyrie Irving and Gordon Hayward. If Kyrie Irving or Gordon Hayward were still eligible to play, then the Celtics would still have a great chance to upset one of these Western teams, but without Hayward and Irving, though these set of young players are talented, they can't beat the Warriors with 4 All stars, or the Rockets with the MVP.
Jayson Tatum, Terry Rozier, and Marcus Smart are just a few names who have stepped up in the absence of the Celtics' stars. These young players have shown that working as a cohesive unit can be just as good as having one star, or two. Although this lineup may work against the Cavs, if the Celtics face the Warriors or the Rockets, they will just be shredded to pieces, posession in and possession out.
Don't get me wrong. The Celtics are one of the most promising teams in the NBA, and if you are thinking about it, they had this success without Hayward for the whole season and Irving for the playoffs. They have a bright future, but this year is not that year where they win it all. Maybe next time, Celtics.
Next, let's talk a bit about the 2016 NBA champions, the Cavaliers. They have been considered the one team that has a chance to beat the Warriors for the last couple of years, but this year is different. For starters, things were different prior to this season. Kyrie Irving was still scoring and leading the Cavs to many wins. The big three for the Cavs were at their best and there defense was infinetly better.
Don't forget, prior to this year, the Rockets were not nearly as good. They didn't have Chris Paul, or MVP James Harden, they had normal Harden. As the Warriors arguably improved this offseason with the addition of Jordan Bell, it is obvious that the Cavs got a lot worse, and although Lebron is still playing at his GOAT level, the rest of the team is not giving him the support he needs to beat either of these powerhouse teams.
I'm not saying that the Cavs have lost all hope for years to come. If the Cavs win Game 7 against the Celtics, there is a good chance Lebron stays. Although this lineup won't cut it, if the Cavs can get free-agents, they can possibly be contenders for the championship in years to come.
Both of these teams have a lot of potential, but the Warriors and Rockets are too good. This year's championship has to go to a West team. Lebron is great and the Celtics group is great, but neither of the players can beat the groups of the Warriors and Rockets. Sorry.