This NBA Finals can go one of two ways

Last year’s NBA Finals may have been the greatest in the history of the sport. This year has a lot to live up to.

This year’s playoff have been a dud. One huge, gigantic dud. But thankfully, we all got the NBA Finals we have been waiting for since the Cavaliers came all the way back from 3-1 to capture their first NBA championship last season. LeBron James finally taking Cleveland to the promised land, against a record-breaking 73-win team no less, has cemented him as the GOAT in the eyes of many. Will there be an encore performance, or will the Warriors exact revenge in Act III of this epic battle?

Many people, including Vegas, are picking Golden State to win, and convincingly. When you add Kevin Durant to a team that was one of the greatest in regular season history just a season ago, this makes sense. Golden State is 12-0 this postseason, and has only had two single-digit victories in the first three rounds. As impressive as this is, one must look at the competition Golden State has faced. No one would mistake Portland or Utah as NBA juggernauts, and San Antonio was clearly compromised thanks to Kwahi Leonard’s injury. If Leonard did not get hurt, the Spurs would have had an excellent chance to knock the Warriors out; once he left, San Antonio lacked the firepower to hang with Golden State.

Cleveland, however, will present an entirely different challenge. Isolation basketball will be the key to this series, and the Cavaliers may be the only team that can come close to the Warriors when it comes to offensive firepower. James’ offensive abilities go without saying, but Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love have taken their games to another level in the postseason. This is not a surprise in Irving’s case, as Kyrie had an incredible Finals last season. But Love, who finally seems truly comfortable in a Cleveland uniform, has looked as good as ever in these playoffs.

If Golden State’s Big Four and Cleveland’s Big Three cancel each other out, the advantage in terms of role players and the bench seems to swing in the Warriors’ favor. But Tristan Thompson could end up being an ex-factor in this series. His offensive rebounding and improved offensive game could be an issue for Golden State, who often play small and don’t truly have anyone that can match up with Thompson. He could end up playing a large role on both ends of the court.

This series seems headed in one of two directions: Warriors in four or five games, or Cleveland in another seven-game war. Either Golden State will have too much firepower for Cleveland to hang with, or the Cavaliers will use last year’s Finals as a blueprint in 2017.

This year though, I wouldn’t expect any suspensions or injuries on Golden State’s side (I’m looking at you, Draymond Green). No matter which way you’re leaning, this NBA Finals should make up for what has been a truly dull 2017 postseason.