They’re back. The Cleveland Cavaliers are playing the Golden State Warriors in the National Basketball Association (NBA) championship series starting Thursday night.
To review: The teams have met in the past two NBA Finals. In 2015, Golden State won a tight six-game series. Last year, the Cavaliers, down three games to one, rallied to beat the Warriors by sweeping the final three games. (That feat was a first in NBA history.)
This season, the Cavaliers brought back a strong starting lineup, but Golden State had one notable addition to its roster: superstar forward Kevin Durant. Most basketball experts figured Cleveland and Golden State would be back in the Finals in 2017.
About 1,300 regular-season and playoff games later, the experts were proved right.
Let’s take a close look at the key players in what should be another classic series.
Small forwards: The Cavaliers’ LeBron James is the best all-around player on the planet and may be the greatest NBA player of all time. Durant is terrific but not quite as fabulous as James. Hoops fans everywhere can’t wait to watch this meeting of basketball giants. Advantage: Cavaliers.
Power forwards: Kevin Love is a solid player who usually gets plenty of points and rebounds for the Cavaliers. But the Warriors’ Draymond Green is even more versatile. Green scores, passes, rebounds and is a master on defense. Advantage: Warriors.
Centers: Neither team has an outstanding big man. The Cleveland and Golden State centers help out by rebounding and playing defense. The Cavaliers’ Tristan Thompson is the best of the bigs. Advantage: Cavaliers.
Point guards: Here is another fantastic matchup of super-talented players. Cleveland’s Kyrie Irving is an all-star who can score 30 points or more on any night. But Stephen Curry is an out-of-this-world shooter who can drop 40 points or more in the bucket. Advantage: Warriors.
Shooting guards: J.R. Smith can hit the occasional three-pointer for Cleveland. He is scoring just a little more than six points a game during the playoffs. Klay Thompson, however, is a steady scorer who is a threat from all over the court. If Thompson gets hot for the Warriors, he could make a big difference. Advantage: Warriors.
Bench players: Both teams have unselfish players who come off the bench and provide quality minutes. Three-point specialist Kyle Korver can get quick scores for the Cavaliers. Still, I like Golden State’s mix of bench players: shot blocker JaVale McGee, sharpshooter Ian Clark and defensive specialist Andre Iguodala. Advantage: Warriors.
Prediction: Both teams are red-hot. Golden State has rolled to 12 straight wins in the playoffs. Cleveland has won 12 games while losing just one.
I think Golden State has too much offensive firepower for even the great James to overcome. I predict the Warriors will win it all in another unforgettable seven-game series.
Bowen writes the sports opinion column for KidsPost. He is the author of 22 sports books for kids, including seven basketball books. His latest is called “Outside Shot.”