The Cavaliers, with LeBron James as the leader of this team, the guy who does it all, have been if not the best, the second best team in the 2017 playoffs. Particularly in the three games against a better team (than the Pacers), in the Toronto Raptors, they have elevated their game to the next level. They want the sweep, they want this rest, and they will possibly get it. Lebron James in the playoffs has been phenomenal, in the perfect time of the year, and is averaging, 34 points, 9 rebound and 7.3 assists. This stat line in the seven games he has already played in the playoffs shows Lebron's greatness. An all time great stat line, over the course of seven games, going 7-0. He shows everyone why he still is the greatest player in the world. However, the opponents the Cavaliers had to face so far cannot even compare to the Cavaliers, do not believe they can even challenge the Cavs in a game. The Golden State Warriors on the other hand who are 6-0, faced a good team in the Trail Blazers, in the first round eliminating them in four games, and are now being challenged by one of the best defensive teams in the league, the Utah Jazz, and are up 2-0. So, if I had to choose between the Warriors and the Cavs on which team has been the best, I would pick the Warriors slightly over the Cavaliers. Despite the Warriors playing one fewer game (tonight will be a TEST for the Warriors), because of the tougher teams they are playing, and the way they are winning these basketball games.
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| 34/9/7 Lebron's stats in the playoffs |
If tonight the Warriors loose then the Cavaliers will be considered as the best team in the 2017 playoffs, and that is just and only due to their postseason record of 7-0. However, there is a big but, in the four games against the mediocre Pacers, the Cavaliers had to rally back, down 25 points, needing a super human performance from Lebron, and 'stealing' game 3 on the road. Despite this win, all four wins against the Pacers had been decided by less than 10 points, which shows that the Cavaliers were not ready, and with a tougher opponent, they could have lost one, maybe two games. Defensively the Cavs, against the Pacers were vulnerable. Paul George had no help whatsoever, but he challenged the Cavaliers in all four games. So in the first round, the Cavaliers were lucky that game tying and winning shots were not falling for the Pacers, while they were also lucky for not facing the Bulls in the first round, who beat the Celtics in the first two games. It would have been another story. Now, I'm not taking anything away from Lebron and the Cavaliers, as in the second round against a great regular season team in the Raptors, they have destroyed them on the offensive and defensive side of the floor. Lebron is making three's; Kyrie Irving is orchestrating the offense, Kevin Love is grabbing rebounds, and scoring tough points inside the paint, etc. Last night, the Cavaliers made a statement to the rest of the league, especially the Eastern Conference, that no one can actually challenge them as they beat the Raptors by 21 points in Toronto, in a much-needed victory for the Raptors.
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116 points per game - Offense
100 points per game - Defense |
On the other hand, the Warriors are playing unstoppable basketball right now, even though they are not with their coach Steve Kerr who might not return for the 2017 playoffs, with back problems. They are playing great basketball on both sides of the floor, scoring a playoff best 116.5 points per game, while only allowing 100.7 points per game from the other teams. They eliminated Portland easily in four games, without having to face any challenge, as 10 or more points decided all four games, and they are now leading the fifth-seeded Utah Jazz, who have been really great all season long, especially on the defensive part. Tonight's game will answer the question itself. If the Warriors win, they are at the moment considered the best team in the league, due to their performances, to go along with the teams they are facing. If they loose then, the discussion will change hands, as the Warriors will be 6-1, while the Cavs will be 7-0, even though they are facing weaker teams.
To conclude, both teams are showing their capabilities, but also are showing the rest of the league, the rest of the teams that they are ready for round 3 in the finals against each other.
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