Last season, the Cleveland Cavaliers were the favorites in the NBA after LeBron James returned and Kevin Love was acquired in a trade. The Golden State Warriors were simply a good shooting team that lacked enough of what it took to win a championship. However, the two teams met in the NBA Championship with the Warriors stamping their place in history as Steph Curry became a household name. Now, the two teams meet for the first time since the championship serious as the Cavaliers look for a rematch.
Cleveland hit a rough patch in their season, but they have begun to bounce back with a healthy roster. Cleveland started the year injured. Kyrie Irving was out after undergoing knee surgery. Iman Shumpert was out with wrist surgery. James was having back issues. Love was returning from a shoulder injury. The Cavaliers have a full and healthy roster for the first time since the start of the year and that could make all the difference as they prepare to face the Warriors.
James is certainly happy to have the healthy roster back. During the absence of Irving and Shumpert, the former NBA MVP has been carrying the team throughout the year much like he had to in the playoffs. That is no longer the case as everyone is beginning to find their stride. Playing the Warriors will be a good test for the Cavaliers to see where they really are at this point in the season as they remain the best in the East, but elsewhere is a question mark.
The Warriors simply picked up where they left off after winning the championship game. The Warriors won 24 straight games before eventually losing one. The team wanted to enter their rematch against the Cavaliers undefeated, but that failed to happen. Never the less, the Warriors are still thriving despite the loss. They will be short-handed in the game against Cleveland. Harrison Barnes who is playing on an expiring contract is out with a sprained ankle. He is expected to miss a few more games.
The absence of Barnes should not be enough to offset the momentum of Golden State. Right now, they are the team to beat in the NBA as the championship could go through the Bay Area once again. The Cavaliers are looking to prove they deserve to be in the conversation too.
