The NBA playoffs are where you separate the contenders from the pretenders, as only the best teams will advance. This year in the NBA playoffs that old saying is holding true, but not to viewers' expectations. The Cleveland Cavaliers and Golden State Warriors have had an easy path through their playoff series. As of today they haven't lost a game and are already shoe-ins for their Conference Finals series. Many of us expected a third matchup between the Cavs and Warriors in the Finals before the NBA season even started, but we expected that there would be some resistance in the playoffs.
Their control in the playoffs has made their games unappealing to watch, so is it bad for the NBA?
Too easy
The Cavs just wrapped up their Eastern Conference Semifinal series against the Raptors last night and completed the sweep. They saw little resistance from Toronto, as they won by double-digits in three of those four games. LeBron James was on another level, showing that he can still dominate a game if he wants to. They swept the Pacers in the first round, but it was more competitive than the Raptors series. The Cavs have the best player in the world in LeBron James, so one might expect them to cruise through the playoffs. Their average point differential in the playoffs is 9.3. They really aren't being tested, and this doesn't make for exciting games.
The Warriors are putting on a much bigger blowout in their postseason games. They handled the Trailblazers easily in their first round series, and now they are up 3-0 on the Jazz with game four coming Monday night. The Warriors have too much offense and teams can't keep up. When your third and fourth options are Klay Thompson and Draymond Green, you know you're in trouble.
Kevin Durant has found his stride after battling injuries early in the playoffs. Steph Curry is quietly having a good postseason and has been leading the team all season Durant was out due to injury. Their point differential per game this postseason is 15. Nobody has come close to stopping Golden State, as they are making easy work of opponents before halftime.
A piece of the action
This dominance from both teams can hurt the NBA in one huge way: views. These game don't require viewers to tune in which can lead to revenue loss for the league. The NBA has many contracts with big name companies that provide these games, and that loss can hurt their pockets. It can also hurt the players' pockets too, as some of the money goes toward the cap room for next season which allows players to sign these big contracts in the summer. The NBA can't do anything about this issue, as there is a humongous gap in talent. They can spin it in their favor and begin thinking of marketing ideas for The Finals, as we know that the Warriors and Cavs will both be there.
The ease of the Warriors' and Cavs' playoff journey will hurt the NBA financially, but they can't do anything about that.
These two teams are just superior. All they can do is hope for one of the best Finals series in NBA history in order to compensate for the revenue they lost in these first two rounds. The NBA is paying for the dominance of the Warriors and Cavs, but they might have a chance to make up for it when they reach the Finals.
