With the regular season drawing to a close, the obvious favorite to win the NBA championship is the defending champion Golden State Warriors, who just set the single-season wins record at 73. Led by reigning MVP Steph Curry, the Warriors appear poised to make another championship run. Their strongest opposition will most likely come from within their own conference in either the San Antonio Spurs or the Oklahoma City Thunder. In any other season, the Spurs’ 67-15 record would be the best in the league, and they have a nucleus of experienced players who know what it takes to win a championship. The Thunder have two of the NBA’s most electric players in Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant, but their lack of depth and their inability to close out games will be huge question marks in the postseason. The fourth seed in the West went to the Los Angeles Clippers, who certainly have the skill to match up with the NBA’s best, with players such as Chris Paul and Blake Griffin; however, Griffin came back from a broken hand only recently, and the Clippers have yet to prove that they can make a deep playoff run. In the Eastern Conference, the spotlight is unquestionably on the Cleveland Cavaliers and four-time MVP LeBron James, With a 57-25 record, the Cavs are the clear favorites to come out of the Eastern Conference, which lacks the multitude of championship contenders that reside at the top of the Western Conference. A midseason coaching switch, as well as some chemistry issues, have made a Cavalier championship unlikely, especially compared to the dominant season that the Warriors and Spurs have had. Unfortunately for the Cavaliers, it appears that Cleveland will have to wait another year for an NBA Championship.
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