The 2015 NBA Playoffs are alive and well, but now that we’re in the second round it’s time to start thinking about how this thing could end. Before the 2014-15 NBA season got started, many NBA experts were taking a side – either LeBron James would lead his Cleveland Cavaliers to a title or the defending champion San Antonio Spurs would repeat.
Here we are in the semifinals, and the Spurs have been eliminated and the Cavs don’t resemble a true contender. Kevin Love is done for the remainder of the playoffs and J.R. Smith will miss his second game when Cleveland tries to avoid a 2-0 hole on Wednesday night. So, if we’re to believe the Cavs are doomed and the Spurs are gone, who can we expect to win it all?
Let’s break down all of the other teams that are still alive and come away with a proposed winner for the 2015 NBA Finals:
Golden State Warriors
Golden State still has to be the top favorite out West. Stephen Curry didn’t look like an MVP in game two and the Grizzlies won’t go away quietly, but the Warriors still have a severe home court advantage and are easily the most explosive and balanced team in the league. That being said, their main weakness – interior defense – is going to be tested from this point on.
Atlanta Hawks
It’s not by accident that the Hawks were the top seed in the Eastern Conference. However, their balanced attack lacks a true go-to star and both their offense and defense can come and go at times. That being said, they survived an early scare to go back to D.C. with the series tied and they appear to have all the necessary tools to make a deep playoff run. If Al Horford can stay healthy, the Hawks remain a real threat to emerge out of the East.
Chicago Bulls
The Bulls looked like they were merely getting by during the regular season, and thanks to chemistry and consistency issues due to numerous injuries, that’s probably true. They’ve been fully healthy for a while now, and that game six clincher against the Bucks was devastating for the rest of the league. Then they went into Cleveland and won game one to start round two. A lot of it depends on the health of Derrick Rose, but this just might be the new favorite to carve a route to the NBA Finals.
Houston Rockets
On the surface, the Rockets have the best inside/outside punch remaining in these playoffs, as James Harden can kill you in just about every way and Dwight Howard can hold down the fort down low on both ends. Of course, despite having a strong defense and good depth during the season, neither have really shown up consistently in these playoffs. Dallas scored seemingly at will in round one and the Clips dropped 117 points on the Rockets in Houston in game one. If Houston’s defense doesn’t show up, their title hopes could quickly dwindle.
Los Angeles Clippers
The Clippers are an interesting bunch, as they have a great head coach in Doc Rivers, proved their worth by topping the Spurs in a brutal seven game series and somehow beat the Rockets in game one, sans Chris Paul. The awful depth everyone talks about when discussing the Clips hasn’t hurt them yet, as Blake Griffin has turned in a monstrous post-season and doesn’t appear to be slowing down. If Paul can return and be as good in this series as he was in round one, L.A. could advance and be a real threat to make it to the Finals.
Memphis Grizzlies
Memphis has a top-three defense in the playoffs as we speak and with a healthy Mike Conley, we probably can’t rule them out of their second round series against the Warriors. Conley returned in heroic fashion last night, dropping 22 points on the Warriors at the Oracle Arena in a big win. Of course, Conley isn’t always this efficient offensively and Golden State simply doesn’t lose at home (just their third home loss of the entire season). If the Warriors can get just one road win and hold serve at home the rest of the way, they’ll move on.
Washington Wizards
Washington is probably a fun pick if you’re only living in the moment, but there is an argument both ways. On one side, they have one of the top floor generals in John Wall, have outside shooting via Bradley Beal and Paul Pierce and have the bigs to battle with just about anyone. Head coach Randy Wittman has steered them wrong before, though, and Wall’s current wrist injury could be a lingering issue. They’re a team on the rise, but rising all the way up to become NBA champs doesn’t look to be in the cards just yet.
The Pretenders: Grizzlies and Wizards
Memphis has a good defense and if they can control the tempo of a game, they can steal some big wins. However, they don’t have the offense to compete consistently with the elite teams in the West and their depth isn’t the best in terms of being able to rely on their bench for a big spark. Washington is very similar, but the big thing holding them back is their coaching. Wall’s injury could be key, too, while their offense can hit dry spells.
The Contenders: Warriors, Hawks, Bulls, Clippers and Rockets…and Cavaliers
Yeah, there are five of them. Six if you don’t overreact to Cleveland having some horrid luck of late (although I think they’re a sinking ship). The first two are the top seeds and play the best defense, and also happen to have two of the most efficient offenses. The Clippers hang on Chris Paul’s status, but they’re in the mix if he can return and Griffin keeps doing what he’s been doing. Houston is a contender on paper, but their defense needs to vastly improve – and fast.
The Champ: Bulls
I don’t even know if I believe my own thoughts, but Chicago looks like the most complete team on paper. They’re so deep right now that Nikola Mirotic isn’t even getting serious minutes, while they’re a matchup problem as long as they pick the right guy to feed throughout the game. From Derrick Rose to Pau Gasol, they have the goods on offense and their team defense has gotten back to the point where you can see a title contender coming together. They could fall flat in the Finals against superior West offenses, but they’re at least getting there.
Think someone else will win it all in 2015? Tell us who in the comments below!
