1. Golden State Warriors
With a potential all-time record for regular season wins currently in their crosshairs, the Warriors have definitely not suffered any letdown after defeating the Cavaliers in last year’s NBA Finals. A close loss on Christmas Day seemed to indicate that the Cavs could hold their own with Golden State, but that was shattered during the slaughter on January 18.
The humiliation of that loss might be reason for self-doubt to creep into the team’s collective psyche, but they’re likely rationalizing that it took place in the waning days of the David Blatt era. Lue has never faced the Warriors as a head coach, and will no doubt have his team looking to redeem themselves for the blowout loss and coming up short last season.
Of course, finding a way to contain players like Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson, while also dealing with a team that can seemingly do no wrong is a monstrous challenge for Cleveland. However, it’s one that they’d be more than happy to take on. Like the Spurs, the Warriors may be spent after what could be a rough potential conference finals, and given the aura of inevitability that the team has been awarded by the media, the Cavaliers may be able to take advantage. Of course, doing that over a two-week series is a challenge, regardless of the caliber of the team
There’s no way that any Cavs player or coach will hint that they don’t want to face a certain opponent. However, seeing how they perform against any of the Eastern Conference teams may help provide a window into whether Cleveland will win the NBA title.
