As great as the NBA season has been this year and as exciting as the NBA Finals have generally been in recent years, professional basketball is in need of a change for this coming playoffs. The 2015-2016 Finals was a historic series, one where LeBron James reclaimed his greatness by taking home a championship for Cleveland, a city that was in need of a victory both on and off the court. Last year’s championship round had such high expectations for much of the season, and it was slightly disappointing, as the Warriors won in a quick five games. The playoffs were also pretty anticlimactic, as the Warriors swept through the first three rounds, and the Cavaliers lost just a single game; much of this dominance by these two teams was a result of injuries that decimated other teams. However, the NBA is still one of the fastest growing sports, and following a 2017-2018 season which was pretty unpredictable, the league has a chance at having a very strong finish to a phenomenal year.

The Thunder Must Play Golden State

I have already gone on record claiming that Oklahoma City is the greatest threat to the Warriors, even if they have had an underwhelming regular season. The Thunder split its season series with the Warriors, and in the two games they won, they dominated the reigning champions. Most importantly, fans would be blessed to watch Russell Westbrook matchup against his former running mate, Kevin Durant. Westbrook already has the greatest drive to win in the NBA, but it would be a treat to see him elevate his competitiveness to a whole new gear to take revenge on the superstar that left him. Just three nights ago, Westbrook took the challenge of guarding James Harden in the fourth quarter, and he locked him down, giving the Thunder the boost to ultimately capture a playoff berth. Even though the Warriors would most likely survive this series, I do predict that it would head into seven games, a challenge that hasn’t been posed to the Warriors in the Western Conference playoffs since Oklahoma City did just that in 2016 when they held a 3-1 lead.

Philadelphia and Cleveland Need to Meet in the Eastern Conference Finals

The 76ers have been a pleasant surprise of this season, especially because they have now won 14 straight games following a mediocre first half of the season. Ben Simmons has also played exceptionally well; in college, he had the second worst record for a number one pick in the draft (behind his teammate, Markelle Fultz), but his time on the court has generally translated to winning; they are currently in a great position to lock up the third seed, are currently in the midst of a 14 game winning streak, and Simmons is a major reason why Philadelphia beat Cleveland a few nights ago without Joel Embiid.

The ideal series would have been between the Boston Celtics and the Cleveland Cavaliers, especially with the drama that would have ensued between Kyrie Irving and LeBron James. But now that Irving has fallen, the injury-riddled Celtics will be lucky to survive the first round. Through much of March, the Toronto Raptors were on a tear, as they ended Houston’s 17 game winning streak and quietly became one of the favorites in the Eastern Conference. They are still fifth in the league in defensive efficiency and third in offensive efficiency, making them one of the most well rounded teams in basketball. Even so, after losing their last two games against Cleveland, the Cavaliers have again become the favorites in the East. Although Toronto is a deep team, the outcome of a series between them and LeBron would probably end in the same fashion as it has in the past two playoffs, creating a predictable Eastern Conference playoffs yet again.

Although most would agree that Cleveland will still make it to the Finals, especially in a decimated Eastern Conference, Philadelphia would be one of the more athletic and challenging teams that a LeBron led team would have ever faced. But if the 76ers do find a way to upset the Cavaliers, there would be important, long term implications. As Philadelphia has improved throughout the course of the year, they have quietly become a favorable location for LeBron to land this offseason once the King becomes a free agent. However, if Cleveland lost to the 76ers in the Eastern Conference Finals, then the likelihood of James moving there would also be diminished, limiting his options this offseason. Philadelphia still has a long way to go before reaching this point, but with a second round series with Boston in sight, this matchup is looking more inevitable than ever.