The NBA’s Western Conference Playoffs have been like a Game of Thrones episode. No matter how ironclad the claim to the throne, fans out West know that their team could face a grizzly playoff death in any given series. Meanwhile, much less attention has been paid to the Eastern Conference and rightfully so. After all, it has been apparent for quite some time that it would be another coronation for LeBron James, the King of the East, and his Cleveland Cavaliers.
Though they have always been the heavy favorite, we still must give credit to the Cavaliers team for its remarkable 9-0 start to the playoffs. The Cavs look like the Harlem Globetrotters versus the Detroit, Atlanta and Toronto Generals. While sweeps of the Pistons and Hawks were no surprise, it was an eye opener when the Cavs broke the NBA record for most three-pointers in a game. The Cavs’ hot start put the Thunder and Warriors on notice that whoever wins the war out West will have a formidable opponent awaiting in the Finals.
The Cavaliers embarrassed the Toronto Raptors in a 115-84 blowout in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals. Yes, it was the same Raptors team that finished just one game behind the Cavs in the regular season standings. They took a step forward this season as Kyle Lowry and Demar DeRozan blossomed together and are finally living up to lofty expectations up north. Still, the truth of the matter is that the Raptors team is not elite. It’s not built for a championship. The team resembles Drake, its biggest celebrity fan, very talented, but not all that tough.
The Raptors remind me of last season’s Atlanta Hawks, who came out of seemingly nowhere to become a major player in the East. Like the Hawks though, the Raptors have not reached true contender status. Regardless of how many albums ‘Views’ sells, the Raptors will be viewing the Finals from home just like the rest of us. I’m not hating, that’s just the reality of the situation. So how much stock should we put into the Cavs monster victory and the series shellacking that will likely follow? That’s the magic question.
The Cavs start is dangerous because it will give them two critical things they will need in the Finals: confidence and rest. In the 2015 playoffs, the Cavaliers had a fairly easy run to the Finals. Cleveland swept the Celtics, dropped two games to the Bulls, then swept the Celtics. However, without Kevin Love and Kyrie Irving, James was forced to work long and hard to keep his team advancing. James played 417 minutes through the first two rounds in 2015. This season, he played just 311 minutes.
Despite his ridiculous averages of 35.8 points, 13.3 rebounds and 8.8 assists per game in last season’s Finals, it was apparent that carrying such a heavy load wore James down as the series went on. As long as Irving and Love can stay on the court (which is not a given considering their injury history), James should be energized and motivated. While Curry is the two-time reigning MVP and the rightful owner of the title: Best Player in the Game, James is still a certified problem.
Cleveland’s best bet for title glory is to quickly take care of business against an overmatched Toronto team and hope the Warriors and Thunder beat each other into a bloody pulp. All bets are off if the Cavs face a tattered and worn down squad from the West. Either way, for those who have been ignoring the East, it’s time to start paying attention to Cleveland.
Time for Wilder vs Joshua
Boxing promoters and networks have the bad habit of building up major fights by having popular fighters beat up on tomato cans until they can cultivate enough interest to make a major bout. It’s time for that trend to end. The heavyweight division has been a snoozefest for the past decade. Now that we can finally see the light at the end of the tunnel in the Wladimir Klitscko era, it’s time to make the best, most-exciting fights for the division.
Klitschko is already set for a July rematch against Tyson Fury, who shocked the world by out-boxing the longtime champion in November. The action in the ring probably won’t be too exciting (unless Klitschko comes out and blasts Fury early) but the anticipation to see whether Wlad’s reign is really over will make the match worthwhile. The other bout that needs to happen ASAP is WBC champion Deontay Wilder versus IBF champion Anthony Joshua.
Wilder was set to make a mandatory defense against Alexander Povetkin this weekend. However, the Russian fighter tested positive for a banned substance and the fight has been officially “postponed” by the WBC while an investigation takes place. Of course, we know that the WBC’s investigation simply means the organization will try to find out the most profitable move. The answer is simple: Wilder vs Joshua in a unification bout.
Both fighters have television agreements with Showtime, eliminating one of the common obstacles to making good fights. Though Joshua is not yet a big name in the US, he’s a superstar in England. His undefeated record (16-0-0, 16 KO) is an easy sell to US fight fans. Like Wilder (36-0-0, 35 KO) he has concussive power. The two knockout artists are also both sloppy and vulnerable enough that it’s plausible that either could take a nap in the center of the ring at any given moment.
Forget the build-up. Forget the bum of the month tour. Make it happen now. Wilder’s calendar has just opened up. Joshua has a bout on June 25 with undefeated, but unheralded Dominic Breazeale. Once Joshua hits the snooze button on Breazeale, he should mix it up with Wilder. While both fighters are flawed, they’re both exciting, which is something that has not been said about a heavyweight champion in quite a long time.
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