Following the end of what many are calling a disappointing NBA season defined by what many were hoping to be a clash between two NBA super teams, everyone is wondering how teams will respond to tackle the strange new challenges facing them. But initially, as expected, people were also very ready to fire off angry blame filled comments because this is how the internet and media handle issues. Historically, LeBron James has received most of the blame for creating a culture where elite players group together to form teams significantly better than the majority of the league, but of late, Kevin Durant has become the main target for the media and fans.
This new wave of scrutiny of the four-time NBA scoring champ came after his decision to join the Golden State Warriors forming possibly the most talented NBA team ever.
Final Thoughts
Watching a team roll through playoff competition and ultimately win the championship with a 16-1 postseason record was not very entertaining. Unfortunately, the Cavs could not keep up with the depth of the Warriors and fell in a five-game series. You could see it on Lebron’s face, which was the scariest part. LeBron James, the seemingly invincible basketball player, the physical specimen who is always a mismatch for defenses, the player with genius level basketball IQ and all encompassing vision of the floor, could not will his way to victory this time around because he was tired.
In Game 4, he had Kyrie Irving’s incredible outing to help push the Cav’s over the hump to victory and in games two and four, he had solid performances from Kevin Love, but numbers do not lie and when Lebron was off the court his team suffered severely. If a team as good as Cleveland, with the best player in the world, looked as overpowered as they did the primary problem the Cav’s face becomes centered around acquiring more talent with the team they have or rebuilding for the future.
Concerns For The Fans
So now we have to turn our attention to the management of teams, and in particular the Cleveland Cavaliers, to see their strategy to be successful moving forward. And without a doubt, every single team in the league has to have a reactionary approach towards Golden State. They have to make changes based on how overwhelmingly better the Warriors are than everyone else.
Obviously, teams set their sights on the defending champs every NBA season, but this upcoming season is different because now you have to have at the bare minimum three perennial all stars to even be considered a contender at all.
For Cav’s fans, this summer has been a tumultuous time largely because the team’s management has just undergone rewiring after former GM David Griffith’s contract was not extended. To make matters worse Kyrie Irving has requested to be traded and there are talks that LeBron may not be returning to Cleveland after the 2017 season because his contract stipulates that James has a player option for the 2018-2019 season.
This begs the question if the Cav’s super team falls apart who is left to challenge the greatness of the Golden State Warriors?
In what has been dubbed the “exodus to the West” this summer has hosted a slew of trades, most of which have moved talent into the Western conference. Paul George was dished out to Oklahoma City, Jimmy Butler moved to Minnesota, and Chris Paul went to Houston. We also cannot forget DeMarcus Cousins was traded to New Orleans during the season to join Anthony Davis.
The Eastern Conference still has LeBron, but other than him the only relevant team next season will be Boston, who intelligently signed Gordon Hayward in free agency. This one sidedness that has resulted in the NBA between the Eastern and Western conferences has only made the super team narrative more significant because undoubtedly Golden State is still head and shoulders above all the other teams in the West.
The Warriors will have a much harder schedule than the Cavs and that means they will be tougher by the end of the season if they can stay healthy. It never fits to pick a team to win it all before a season starts, but there are always exceptions and this upcoming NBA season seems to already have its winner.
Moving Forward
Unless Cleveland can retain its team and gain some more depth on their bench or if Boston can pull off something spectacular the NBA may have a problem on their hands. If the outcome of the Finals is predictable that may mean a loss of viewership and consequently a loss of profit. There is the incentive for NBA executives to consider making a policy change in terms of reinstalling a salary cap and cure the NBA of its super teams.
However, fans may want to watch Golden State dominate the playoffs again because it is like nothing we have seen before. Only time will tell.
What do you think should NBA teams have a salary cap again or should things stay as they are? Comment with your thoughts below.
