A Look at the Playoff Picture
Breaking down the contenders coming out of the East and the West.
By Alfonso Madrigal Contributor
Eastern Conference
In the Eastern Conference, the Cleveland Cavaliers have managed to get back on track and cement their place in the conference finals for the fourth year in a row.
While LeBron James openly admitted that he was tired after Game 7 against the Indiana Pacers, he didn’t look exhausted in the second round. Facing the Toronto Raptors, a team that James has dismantled time and again, he averaged 34 points, 11.3 assists and 8.3 rebounds. These dominant performances played a pivotal role in the Cavs’ sweep of the first-seeded Toronto Raptors.
Another reason for the Cavs’ success in the playoffs has been Kevin Love, who was instrumental in the team’s run against the Raptors after averaging 14.7 points and 10.1 rebounds.
His post-up play, along with his red-hot shooting, allowed the Cavs to alleviate the scoring burden from James. Love shot a scorching 47 percent from the field in the series, which was much needed as many questioned whether “Minnesota Kevin Love” would make an appearance in the playoffs.
While he started the series shooting a measly 23 percent, he went on to finish the series shooting 62 percent in Game 4. This offensive surge from both James and Love catapulted the team, as they averaged an incredible 118.5 points a game against the Raptors. In contrast, they only averaged 94.9 points in their last series against the Pacers.
While their conference finals opponent has not yet been finalized, it’s safe to say that the Cavaliers find themselves in a much better position than they were going into the playoffs.
Another team that has surprisingly become a favorite out of the East is the Boston Celtics. While the Celtics cannot count on star players like Kyrie Irving and Gordon Hayward due to injury, they’ve been able to rely on role players to get the job done.
Terry Rozier has led the charge in the postseason thus far, averaging 19.5 points in the second round against the Philadelphia 76ers. The Celtics are also seeing rookie Jayson Tatum grow into a legitimate star, as he became the first Celtic rookie to score at least 20 points in six consecutive playoff games. Tatum is currently averaging an unprecedented 23.3 points per game against the Sixers. The pair was also instrumental in the Celtics’ 22-point comeback in Game 3 of the second round, displaying their resiliency when facing adversity.
While the Celtics finished the regular season as the second seed, Philadelphia was seemingly the favorite because of the Celtics’ depleted roster. Nonetheless, Boston currently lead the series 3–1, and will be looking to make their way into the conference finals when they return home for Game 5.
Western Conference
The Golden State Warriors are without a doubt still the team to beat. They’re currently scoring 110 points a game, and have the best defensive rating in the playoffs at 99.4. Steph Curry has only played in three games since returning from injury and is averaging 23.3 points per game, while shooting just under 43 percent from three. His shooting and constant off-ball movement since returning has allowed Golden State to rely a little less on Kevin Durant, who carried much of the offensive load in the first round. With the plethora of shooters they have on their team, it will be difficult for any team to stop them from scoring. While the Warriors were beat to the first seed by the Houston Rockets this season, they’ll still be favored in a series against them.
Nonetheless, this Rockets team is nothing to scoff at. Of the remaining playoff teams, they’re allowing the least points (99.9), and scoring the third most (109.2). The Rockets have ultimately put themselves in a position to be able to beat the Warriors.
After clinching the first seed for the Western Conference, the Rockets have not shown any signs of slowing down. They have been an offensive juggernaut, averaging 13.7 three pointers made per contest.
In addition, James Harden is currently leading the Rockets in scoring with 29.7 points per game, while shooting 41 percent from the field. He’s also continued to be efficient in isolations; with 10.1 iso possessions, Harden is managing to score a whopping 1.16 points per possession.
This is a huge weapon for the Rockets, as Chris Paul is also on a tear, averaging 19.7 points and 6 assists. Nonetheless, the team also has a bit of a secret weapon.
Clint Capela has been dominating on both sides of the floor. Capela is leading playoff teams in blocks with 2.6 per game, while scoring 15.4 points and grabbing 13 rebounds. The center is also shooting 63.6 percent from the field and getting 90 percent of his shots in the paint.
With all this at their disposal, it will be interesting to see how the Rockets eventually match up with the Warriors in the Western Conference Finals.
*All stats from Basketball-Reference and NBA.com
