Nearly everyone assumed that the Golden State Warriors and Cleveland Cavaliers would be meeting in the 2017 NBA Finals before the regular season tipped off.The Warriors are still heavy favorites to return to the NBA Finals, especially after going 15-1 to close the regular season, but the Cavaliers have looked pedestrian in the second half of the year, going 11-15 in their last 26 games.That opens up the door for other Eastern Conference teams to spoil a potential NBA Finals rubber match between the Dubs and Cavs.Here's a look at the NBA playoff brackets for each conference, the early championship odds and predictions for the Eastern and Western Conference champions.Predictions for Final TeamsEastern ConferenceCan you name the three teams who finished in the top eight in both offensive and defensive efficiency'Two of them should be obvious, but the third one might be a surprise.The no-brainers are the Golden State Warriors and San Antonio Spurs, the two teams with the best win-loss records in the entire NBA this season.The third team is the Toronto Raptors, who are sixth in offensive efficiency and eighth in defensive efficiency, per ESPN.com.The Raptors check off many boxes for their first NBA Finals appearance in franchise history. Here are six reasons why they'll make it this year.First, and most importantly, the Raps play well on both ends of the court, as noted before.Second, they are fully healthy after the return of point guard Kyle Lowry from a wrist injury.Third,they finished the regular season on a high note, winning four straight and 12 of their last 14.Fourth, Toronto arguably has the deepest bench in the Eastern Conference. Point guard Cory Joseph started 21 games in Lowry's absence and played well. Forward P.J. Tucker is a lockdown defender and can provide 25 gritty minutes. Shooting guard Norman Powell is one of the more underrated subs in the NBA, averaging 8.4 points in just 18 minutes per game, and power forward Patrick Patterson provides a steady presence down low.Fifth, the Raptors are hungry to make the NBA Finals after falling two games short last season. That postseason experience will undoubtedly help them this year.Last, the Raps' three main foes for the Eastern Conference crowntheCleveland Cavaliers,Boston Celticsand Washington Wizardshave problems on defense and the boards. None of those three teams rank in the top 11 in defensive efficiency, and none are higher than 15th inrebounding differential(Toronto is eighth in both).Therefore, Toronto is the pick to make the NBA Finals.Western ConferenceIt's almost impossible to envision any team besides the Golden State Warriors winning the Western Conference.Any of the other seven Western Conference playoff teams can beat the Dubs on any given night. The problem, of course, is that every round is a best-of-seven series in the NBA playoffs. Provided no Warrior starter gets injured or suspended, this is their championship to lose.The San Antonio Spurs, who just finished yet another incredible regular season, have the best shot at beating the Warriors for obvious reasons (great coaching, MVP candidate Kawhi Leonard, fantastic offense, tough defense, etc.).That being said, how will they (or any team) find a way to shut down three elite scorers (Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and Kevin Durant) during an entire series'If Curry and Durant are having off-nights, Thompson can score 40-plus. If Durant is out for a game, Curry can carry his burden and knock down three after three from 30 feet. And then Draymond Green, who does everything for the Warriors, can pick up some of the slack.Expect the chalk to win throughout the Western Conference playoffs (with perhaps the Utah Jazz and Oklahoma City Thunder providing scares to the Los Angeles Clippers and Houston Rockets) and for the Warriors to take down the Spurs in the conference finals en route to their third straight NBA Finals appearance.
Click here to read full news..
