Golden State Warriors
By Cole Bredahl
Sure, the Warriors lost a 3-1 series lead in the Finals last year, but this is a better team now. Despite a 2-1 start to the season, the Warriors will still be the best in basketball.
Golden State has the most skilled starting five in the NBA. Steph Curry is one of the top players in the league and has been the leader of the team for the last few years. With the addition of Kevin Durant, this team becomes unstoppable offensively.
The former MVP and league-leading scorer was the biggest free agent signing this off-season. The Warriors now have two of the brightest superstars in the NBA with Durant and Curry. Golden State lost Harrison Barnes and Andrew Bogut to the Mavericks, but Durant makes up for that and more.
Anytime this kind of skill is put together, good things are bound to happen. There will be a phase of adjustment for the team as Durant gets comfortable and chemistry builds, which was on display as the Warriors lost to the Spurs in the season opener. But this year, Golden State will figure everything out and finish the season strong. The Warriors will avenge last year’s painful NBA Finals loss and win it all this time around.
Cleveland Cavaliers
By Josh Nelson
How can you not say the Cleveland Cavaliers are the best team in the NBA? They have represented the Eastern Conference in the NBA finals for the past two years and are the reigning world champions. This year shouldn’t be much different.
The Cavs are returning all their key players and will have the best player in the NBA. LeBron James continued to cement his name into NBA lore with his performance in the finals last year, where he averaged 29.7 points, 11.3 rebounds and 8.9 assists per game. Now that the pressure is off James to bring a championship to Cleveland, he can play with less stress on his shoulders.
James isn’t the only superstar on this team. Kyrie Irving has proved he is a top-tier point guard in the league after he thoroughly outplayed the 2015-16 unanimous NBA MVP Steph Curry in the finals. Irving fed off the unbelievable play from James and averaged 27.1 points per game in the finals. It wouldn’t shock me if James continues to lean on Irving this year in order to build his confidence up as the season progresses.
Cole will tell you the Warriors have the most talent, and while that’s true, you can’t guarantee they’ll mesh well. The Cavs have the experience of playing together and still have the best player in the game right now.
