A year after a depleted Cleveland Cavaliers team was defeated in 6 games by the Golden State Warriors, LeBron James has a chance for revenge.

By reaching his 6th straight NBA Finals appearance, James has accomplished something that only 7 other NBA players have ever done. This achievement is even more spectacular, as the other players were all on a Celtics team led by hall-of-famers Bill Russell and Sam Jones. This might be impressive, but we cannot forget the Warriors’ unbelievable season. By only losing 9 games, they broke the 95-96’ Bulls regular season win record of 72 games. Arguably the best team in NBA history, they didn’t face a real test until the Western Conference Finals, when they faced OKC. Down 3-1, they miraculously came back to win in 7 games, something only 9 other teams have done in NBA history. With the best backcourt in the NBA, Steph Curry and Klay Thompson, the Warriors will be looking to slow down the Cavs’ big three, Kyrie Irving, Kevin Love and of course LeBron James. This matchup contains 2 of the best offensive teams in the league, and the 2 best players. The Cavaliers have been shooting lights-out in the playoffs, yet the Warriors should be able to match that with their own firepower offense. With the 2 best teams from their respective conferences, the only way to possibly predict the winner is to break it down.

Battle Of The “Big 3”

Cavaliers: Kyrie Irving, Kevin Love, LeBron James

Warriors: Steph Curry, Klay Thompson, Draymond Green

The Cavaliers’ big three did not start to mesh until this year. Last year, Kevin Love was injured against the Celtics early in the playoffs, and Kyrie Irving was injured in the first game of the NBA Finals. Kyrie didn’t come back until late December of this season, and everything instantly clicked. Their overpowered offense faced little adversity in the playoffs, because Kyrie’s ball handling skills and outside shooting mixed with LeBron’s all around play and Love’s offensive prowess allowed for the team to score through a variety of options. However, there’s a reason why the Warriors were able to come back from a 3-1 deficit: they simply make shots when they need to. Thompson and Curry are clutch and simply amazing shooters, and Draymond Green is one of the elite defenders in today’s NBA.

Who gets the edge: Warriors

Role Players

Cavaliers: JR Smith, Tristan Thompson, Andre Iguodala, Leandro Barbosa, Shaun Livingston

Warriors: Harrison Barnes, Andrew Bogut, Matthew Dellavedova, Channing Frye

Harrison Barnes and Andrew Bogut need to step up their game if the Warriors are to have a chance. In game 7 against the OKC, Barnes was actually benched in favor of reigning Finals MVP Andre Iguodala, and Bogut put up a measly 2 points and 3 rebounds. While Barnes and Bogut are not key pieces of their team, JR Smith and Tristan Thompson are vital. Without JR Smith providing timely three pointers and Thompson always hovering around the basket on both ends of the floor (he led the NBA in offensive rebounds during the regular season), the Cavs may not have achieved the same level of success in the playoffs.

However, the Warriors’ bench is full of solid NBA players who have either found success in Oakland or were starters on other NBA teams. Comparing this to the Cavaliers’ bench makes it evident that the Warriors have the upper-hand. Livingston and Barbosa provide a spark off the bench when needed, and as previously mentioned, Iguodala was the Finals MVP last year.

Who gets the edge: Warriors

Which Team Has More On The Line

Golden State does not look like it’s window for title contention is closing anytime soon. As Curry, Green and Thompson seem be improving over the last couple of seasons, there is no reason to think that the Warriors won’t be back in the finals again next year. However, With LeBron losing his jumpshot and becoming more reliant on his game down low, it is evident that the best chance for Cleveland to win is now. With a healthy supporting cast and his fellow all-stars nicely complementing his game, Cleveland has to win.

Yes, it is true that Golden State’s regular season records won’t matter if they don’t win. But Cleveland still hasn’t won a championship, and LeBron is only getting older. Perhaps this urgency will allow the Cavs to pull of the upset.

Who gets the edge: Cavaliers

Series Prediction: Warriors in 6