2017 NBA Finals: Do the Cavs or Warriors have more at stake?
By Zain Ahmed
The Warriors and Cavs will meet in the NBA Finals for the third straight time, to the surprise of none, but who has more at stake this series?
Golden State and Cleveland meeting in the NBA Finals seemed destined to happen as soon as the season started.
The 72-win Warriors added superstar Kevin Durant to their already talented core. The Warriors offense is even scarier with the arrival of top five player Kevin Durant. While Cleveland continued to add depth to its championship winning squad, Kevin Love’s emergence this season has also been huge for the Cavs this season.
The Warriors and Cleveland have a storied past, to say the least. Golden State defeated the short-handed Cavaliers in just five games in 2015. The Cavaliers would avenge their loss by taking advantage of a Draymond Green suspension to shift the momentum.
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The Draymond Green suspension allowed the Cavaliers to capture momentum and become the first team in NBA history to come back from a 3-1 deficit in the NBA Finals. The Warriors became the butt of all NBA jokes after the epic collapse.
Question is, which team has more at stake entering the 2017 NBA Finals?
Why Cleveland has more at stake
The Cavaliers were finally able to win their first NBA championship in franchise history in 2016. After several disappointments, the Cleveland curse had been lifted (just in the NBA of course) and the Cavaliers are ready to repeat. However, they will face a tougher road with the addition of Kevin Durant on the Warriors this time around.
The Cavaliers have more at stake because they have the pressure of going for a repeat.
Individually, LeBron has a lot at stake because with a win he will have a .500 record in the Finals. LeBron’s legacy has been tainted by his inability to win in the Finals. LeBron has never had a winning record in the Finals. While seven straight Finals appearances are impressive, if he were to only have three wins out of his eight total appearances, his legacy would take a hit.
People may begin to wonder if his NBA Finals appearances are because of the lack of competition and not his dominance. Both the Cavs and LeBron will have plenty at stake.
Why the Warriors have more at stake
The Warriors had the best regular season in NBA history last year, with a record of 73-9. Golden State cruised through the playoffs and was in the driver’s seat in the Finals. Then, disaster struck as one of their best players and team leader, Draymond Green, was suspended for Game 5. The Cavaliers took advantage of Green’s absence and picked up a comfortable victory over Golden State.
The loss to Cleveland was morally deflating for Golden State and they were never able to fully recover.
If Durant were to lose in the Finals, even after joining the best team in the NBA, his legacy may never recover
Heading into these Finals, the Warriors have more pressure to win than last year. The addition of Kevin Durant made the Warriors one of the best teams of all-time. Many people crowned them champions before the season even began. Never has there been a team composed of four of the top 25 players in the NBA before these Warriors. Given all the pressure on the Warriors to perform and the incredibly high expectations, one can argue that the Warriors have more at stake.
The already high expectations only increased when the Warriors swept all of their Western Conference opponents to go 12-0 in the playoffs, a feat that has never been accomplished before the 2016-17 Warriors.
Kevin Durant also has much at stake these Finals. Durant jumped ship to join the Warriors this offseason and was heavily criticized for it. If Durant were to lose in the Finals, even after joining the best team in the NBA, his legacy may never recover. Kevin Durant can not afford to lose these Finals and neither can Golden State.
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Final Verdict
Both teams undoubtedly have much at stake in this NBA Finals matchup. However, I feel the Warriors have a little more at stake. The Warriors lost the series last year in embarrassing fashion and will be looking for revenge. The added pressure and expectations only adds fuel to the fire for Golden State. The team that is more desperate will come out on top in this matchup, and the Warriors have more reason for desperation.