NBA Playoffs 2017: Schedule and Odds for Historic Cavaliers vs. Warriors Finals
Some might cry foul in the interests of parity, but there is nothing wrong with sequels in sports.
It's a lesson the 2017 NBA Finals seems sure to reinforce when the Cleveland Cavaliers and Golden State Warriors get back together for a third consecutive time, a historic rubber match between super teams and some of the league's best players.
Indeed, sequels are a staple of almost every industry. The Call of Duty franchise is a juggernaut in the land of video games, and there are more superhero movies than one would enjoy counting as of late.
So why can't the same quality sweep into the NBA? Here's a look at the schedule for what could be another seven-game epic:
Game 1: Cleveland at Golden State, Thursday, June 1 at 9 p.m. ET on ABC
Game 2: Cleveland at Golden State, Sunday, June 4 at 8 p.m. ET on ABC
Game 3: Golden State at Cleveland, Wednesday, June 7 at 9 p.m. ET on ABC
Game 4: Golden State at Cleveland, Friday, June 9 at 9 p.m. on ET ABC
*Game 5: Cleveland at Golden State, Monday, June 12 at 9 p.m. ET on ABC
*Game 6: Golden State at Cleveland, Thursday, June 15 at 9 p.m. ET on ABC
*Game 7: Cleveland at Golden State, Sunday, June 18 at 8 p.m. ET on ABC
Like both epics before it, oddsmakers out of Las Vegas haven't really decided which way to go—at least not in concrete fashion.
So while OddsShark lists the Warriors as 6.5-point favorites, it feels more like oddsmakers riding with the home team on shaky footing at best until they can see what LeBron James and the Cavaliers do.
It's not like there is an easy route for a casual bettor or veteran oddsmaker to figure this thing out, which is good for the entertainment value, at least. Both teams, with one playoff loss between them, have been historically dominant, as ESPN Stats & Info helped to illustrate:
Start with Cleveland. LeBron has been his usual self, which shouldn't undersell what he's done while averaging 29.6 points or more in every series, which included hurting the Indiana Pacers' chances of keeping Paul George, doing the same for the Toronto Raptors with Kyle Lowry and making the Boston Celtics look like a team that really deserved a No. 1 pick.
But James has had help—Kyrie Irving has averaged 24.5 points per game and 5.6 assists. Kevin Love is in great form this postseason and averaged 22.6 points and 12.4 rebounds against the Celtics. Weak interior Boston defense aside, the overall context showing Love's dominance this postseason is necessary:
Now look at Golden State. The team added former MVP Kevin Durant, who went on to average 25.1 points, 4.8 assists and 8.3 rebounds during the regular season. Oddly enough, his coming to town didn't really hurt the numbers put up by Stephen Curry or Klay Thompson.
Believe it or not, more pressure sits on Curry's shoulders than Durant's despite what legacy narratives and the latter's trip to free agency might suggest.
After all, Curry struggled in the Finals last year against Irving, as ESPN Cleveland pointed out:
And Curry himself sounds motivated for a bit of revenge based on comments made to Kyle Boone of CBS Sports: "For the most part, you know what LeBron [James] does, you know what Kyrie [Irving] does. You know kind of their style and [are] familiar with that. Other than that, I think when you look at the whole squad, they have a good kind of chemistry and vibe. It looks like they're having fun, and we want to do something about that."
Easier said than done, of course. Cleveland hasn't changed much and Durant changes things quite a bit for the Warriors, which seems to be where Las Vegas mostly aligns with the Warriors even after getting burnt last year.
But it's never that easy, right? The Cavaliers have to account for Durant and stop Curry, but it likely leaves a strong shooter like Thompson open to do damage. But then take into account something like this note from the Associated Press' Damon A. Salvadore:
Is there something to how LeBron-led lineups counteract ones led by Durant? Do shooters like Curry counteract it?
It's hard to say with certainty, but things clearly get complicated for the Warriors if Draymond Green has to stick on LeBron and Curry once again has problems shutting down a facilitator like Irving. Top it off with Love putting on another strong series offensively and the Cavaliers might have the spacing and potency to make Durant's arrival a moot talking point.
Either way, the legacy topic has to come up at some point in such a historic matchup. For Durant, the risk-reward of his leaving the Oklahoma City Thunder has always been obvious—he joined the team that bested his, teaming with other superstars. If he wins a title and helps the Warriors get redemption, great. If not, his legacy takes a hit in ways he might not be able to ever overcome.
And look at LeBron. The main man behind the 3-1 comeback has averaged north of 40 minutes per game through the playoffs so far to get to this point. He watched the most prominent rival of his career add a former MVP in an effort to stop him.
He's even the first to admit the idea of the Warriors is a tough topic, per ESPN.com's Brian Windhorst:
"I'm going to be honest, I'm not in the right mind to even talk about Golden State," LeBron James said after scoring 35 points in the Cavs' 135-102 Game 5 win over the Boston Celtics. "It's too stressful, and I'm not stressed right now. I'm very happy about our accomplishment. Golden State, they've been the best team in our league for the last three years, and then they added an MVP (Kevin Durant). That's all I can give you right now, because I'm happy and I don't want to be stressed."
Once the lengthy layoff concludes and the two sides hook up for the series, though, rest assured it's all that will occupy LeBron's mind.
This series is one in which either team emerging the winner under any circumstances outside of a sweep wouldn't come as a surprise.
So there's nothing wrong with another meeting here. The new-look Warriors enter the favorites just as they did at the start of the regular season, but LeBron and the Cavaliers are more than ready to once again play the spoiler in historic fashion.
This year, there wasn't a better potential Finals encounter—and the stars involved will make sure it's a well-known fact in hindsight.
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