Playoff Predictions

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The playoffs of the NBA are in full pursuit. With the top eight teams of each conference competing to go the finals, there is a lot of speculation for who is going to actually make the finals. Teams that come to mind are the Golden State Warriors and the Cleveland Cavaliers. But let's dive into this topic and predict who would make it to the finals and who would win.

West
The teams that would make the Western Conference Finals in my opinion would be the Golden State Warriors and the Houston Rockets. If these teams were to face each other, I feel like Golden State would come out on top in 7 games. Reasons being  MVP Candidate Stephen Curry, his fellow splash brother Klay Thompson, Andrew Bogut, Draymond Green and Harrison Barnes proved that they are one of the best starting units in the NBA. Pair that with an amazing bench and Coach of the Year Candidate Steve Kerr, this team looks like they would defeat the Houston Rockets. But this battle wouldn't be so easy for the Warriors. When you think of MVP, you automatically envision Stephen Curry, but James Harden should also come to mind. Both averaging similar numbers, James Harden is proving that he is the best shooting guard in the NBA and he deserves an MVP consideration. Put him with Dwight Howard and Josh Smith, and you have a championship contending team. The only reason I feel confident in saying the Warriors would win in the end is because of the injuries that are on the side of the Rockets. Two key factors in the Rockets' successful season were Patrick Beverly and Donatas Montiejunas, who are both injured and are unable to participate in the playoffs.

East
The obvious pick in the east is the Cleveland Cavaliers. With the best player in the league, LeBron James and with young superstar Kyrie Irving, the Cavs are looking to make the finals as there is no team stronger than them on the east, in my opinion. The biggest threat I can think of are the Bulls because of Derrick Rose's rise in the playoffs. Along with Kevin Love's recent injury, the Bulls are the only threat, but if they can beat the Bulls, the ride to the finals should be easy for them as any opponent coming from the upper bracket shouldn't be a problem for the Cavs.

Finals
Even with the injury to Kevin Love, I still feel like if the Cavaliers and the Warriors make the finals, the Cavs would come out on top. In a 7 games series, I have the Cavs coming out on top because of their defense and the way their offense rolls. LeBron James is still the best player in the world even if he doesn't get the MVP which has not been announced yet. The main scoring players on the Warriors are Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson are sharpshooters. This can be a problem against Cavs because of their defense with Iman Shumpert and Kyrie Irving. It is not all in the favor of the Cavs though, LeBron is known for being a player who cannot be guarded. But against the Warriors, Draymond Green will be defending him, an elite defender who was a runner-up for Defensive Player of the Year. This is the real test for Green, because if he cannot shutdown or slow down LeBron, the Cavs will most likely come out on top.