GOLD STANDARD
Contenders to dethrone Warriors hard to find
The answer to one question is simple. “No.” That question is, “Will anybody beat the Warriors in the playoffs?”
But ask, “Can anybody beat the Warriors in the playoffs?” and you hear, “Well, maybe …”
Now, on any given Tuesday, Thursday or Sunday in the playoffs, anybody can beat anybody else. Still, the Warriors remain clear-cut favorites to win their second straight NBA title, third in four years.
But if bacon-producing mammals go airborne and the survivors are not the Warriors, the league’s premier offensive force, who will emerge? A consensus makes the league’s second premier offensive force, the Rockets, the choice.
“Everybody on that team can shoot. They’re the only team I think that has a shot,” one veteran scout said.
The Rockets, whose 114.1 points per game trail only the Warriors’ 115.8, have never exactly been called “Doomsday” defensively. Can they defend?
“They don’t have to. They’re not worried about defense. They want to outscore you,” the scout said.
But outscoring Golden State is tough. Hey, they have four All-Stars. Again.
Yup, Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green all are in Los Angeles this weekend, and not to visit movie stars’ homes.
“The first time in NBA history that four guys go two consecutive years,” Thompson said of the Warriors’ All-Star collection. “Pretty incredible.”
Yeah, the rest of the league is overjoyed. Who do you key on playing the Warriors? As one scout summarized, “LeBron has a bad night, Cleveland is screwed. Durant has a bad night, it’s ‘OK, let the other guys loose.’”
Though Houston, the No. 1 West seed at the break, was the consensus pick, other the West, teams perennial received colossus consideration. San Anto- In nio and Big Three-powered Oklahoma City were discussed and virtually dismissed. In the East, there are the rejuvenated Cavaliers, who for all the rejuvenating still are about LeBron James; the young, defensively stout Celtics; and the ultra-versatile Raptors.
All have their strengths. All have their weaknesses. All except Houston received little chance to beat the loaded Warriors.
“They are the best team in the world,” Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said. “There
are a lot of things to be impressed by"
n both sides of the ball. The Warriors offense is legendary. But they also defend.
“You can’t always run your plays. They sit on it then they switch everything, and then you got the ball in your hands with under 10 seconds and you’re standing there dribbling,” Dallas’ Dirk Nowitzki said.
“They’re unselfish. I love watching the ball movement. They have everything everyone else wants,” another scout said. “Everyone tries to replicate that formula but with people other than Curry, Durant and Thompson.”
The Warriors conjure the same invincible air the Bulls of Michael Jordan oozed. Every team that faced Chicago in six Finals felt they could win — but none even forced a seventh game.
“I don’t think anybody in the playoffs thinks they can’t beat Golden State. Now they have to go prove it. And you have to prove it four times. That’s the hard part,” said Knicks coach Jeff Hornacek, part of powerful Utah teams which won 64 then 62 games but were beaten twice, 4-2, by Chicago in 1997 and 1998.
Here are six challengers:
ROCKETS
“Houston can go up and down with the Warriors and outscore them,” one scout said of the Rockets, who won the season series, 2-1, from Golden State. “If they can get home court, that’s a plus. Physically they have the best shot.” The Rockets are second in scoring. But they must have James Harden playing like an MVP and not like the 2012 Finals flameout or West finals Game 6 noshow last year. Houston also boasts five guys shooting above the 36.1 percent league average on 3s.
SPURS
San Antonio a l ways contends. But maybe not this time: The Spurs lost to the Warriors twice by 37 total points. Injuries have crippled the team with the best scoring defense (98.5 ppg) and sixth-best field goal defense (45.0 percent). “Kawhi Leonard needs to be healthy for starters,” one scout said. “I just don’t see San Antonio in the mix.”
THUNDER
Russell Westbrook, Paul George and Carmelo Anthony make Oklahoma City formidable — the Thunder beat the Warriors twice this season. But they took a huge hit, losing Andre Roberson (ruptured patellar tendon).
“There are too many layers they have to go through,” one scout said. “And if Houston is two, they could end up playing Houston in the semis.”
Current Knick and former Thunder center Enes Kanter stresses intangibles, like recalling the blown 2016 Western finals 3-1 lead, and picks OKC.
“Golden State has amazing players. Any team to beat them needs to stick together, even if the Warriors make crazy shots,” Kanter said. “OKC can mess up their matchups. And OKC guys hate them so much. The history and the 3-1 thing. They want to eat them alive.”
CAVALIERS
Cleveland got more athletic and younger at the trade deadline — adding Rodney Hood, Larry Nance Jr. and Jordan Clarkson, all 25, plus George Hill. But Clarkson and Nance never have smelled a playoff game. Why would the Cavs, who lost twice to the Warriors and played in lengthy disarray, rate a shot? LeBron. “Golden State might have the second best player and the third best player, but LeBron is still the best,” one scout said.
“The Cavs are in the conversation because LeBron can dominate four out of seven games,” Barkley said.
One scout cautioned, “Everybody is quick to judge. Now people get to prepare for this Cleveland team. Let’s see what happens.”
CELTICS
Boston is first in field-goal defense (43.4 percent), second in scoring defense (99.6 ppg), third in 3-point defense (34.2) and have Kyrie Irving this time. But they are young and lost Gordon Hayward on opening night. Terry Rozier blossomed but the bench does not terrify.
“Hayward drastically affected depth and rotation. They’re a great story, but I don’t think Boston can beat Cleveland,” one scout said. “You’re expecting a lot from [rookie Jayson] Tatum. And LeBron may affect Kyrie mentally if they [meet] in the playoffs. Kyrie may try to do too much.”
RAPTORS
The starters include studs Kyle Lowry and MVP candidate DeMar DeRozan. The bench plays at a friction-burn pace. They are very good. On the down side, Toronto may have something in abundance: pressure to advance.
“Of any team in the playoffs, they have the most pressure. They have to advance,” the scout said. “Golden State, win or lose, big deal. They went to three Finals, won two championships. If Cleveland doesn’t make it four years in a row, so what? Look what they did for their future. Boston lost a huge piece opening night. OKC, Houston, if they come out of the West, great, they beat Golden State. Toronto has the pressure.”