Last year, the NBA saw it's part III with the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Golden State Warriors. This year, the competition is a bit tougher. At least on the Eastern Conference. We could see a Finals where these two teams may not face each other. There is still plenty of playoff basketball and the challengers here could make things difficult.
The most obvious challenger is the Houston Rockets. Their 65 win season is the franchise's most in a single year, surpassing their 58 in the 1993-94 season, a year that saw them win an NBA Finals. They have enjoyed some success under coach Mike D'Antoni following a disappointing 2015-16 year that saw Kevin McHale fired after 11 games. With the addition of Chris Paul and others like Trevor Ariza stepping up, they seem to be the only one poised to potentially take down Golden State. They can play defense and find many ways to score points, which is ranked second among the teams this season. However, can the team and coach get past that hump? They've been to a conference finals twice since winning the Finals in 1995. Is it finally their year in the James Harden Era?
Keep your eyes peeled on the Philadelphia 76ers. They have been on a huge surge following their NFL Eagles Super Bowl win back in February. Going 27 and 5 since that day, they have been relentless, eliminating the Miami Heat in the playoffs. When they are healthy, their players contribute in many ways. The team is unselfish in terms of playing defense and feeding the ball to each other. Five players with 1000 points is not something you see every year. With a solid effort on both sides, this is a group that will surprise a lot if they continue their run. Other than Boston, this could be Cleveland's big nemesis if the Cavs advance.
As far as other teams go in the East, I have a hard time thinking Toronto has chance. Maybe this year is different, but the amount of heartbreak they give fans whenever they are in the postseason leaves me with a lot of doubt. Boston is a doubtful one, but more so in the health of their players. As of now, they have the chance to eliminate the Milwaukee Bucks very soon, but without some of their big players, it's a tough sell. On the West side, nothing stands out other than Houston. The closest is the Utah Jazz. They are a team that plays a strong defense, but their scoring is not their strongest facet of the game.
Who knows what will happen. This year could be a lot more interesting if the Cavs or Warriors (or both) get eliminated from postseason contention. That alone would make ratings and revenue something to watch out for.
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