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10 Matchups We Want To See In The 2017 NBA Playoffs

By Gerald Bourguet

Mar 1, 2017; Boston, MA, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James (23) is guarded by Boston Celtics point guard Marcus Smart (36) during the first quarter at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Greg M. Cooper-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 1, 2017; Boston, MA, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James (23) is guarded by Boston Celtics point guard Marcus Smart (36) during the first quarter at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Greg M. Cooper-USA TODAY Sports /
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2017 NBA Playoffs
October 25, 2016; Oakland, CA, USA; Golden State Warriors forward Kevin Durant (35) shoots the basketball against San Antonio Spurs center Pau Gasol (16) and guard Tony Parker (9) during the first quarter at Oracle Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports /

2. Western Conference Finals: No. 1 Golden State Warriors vs. No. 2 San Antonio Spurs

A Warriors-Rockets conference finals might be more competitive than people think, but if anyone’s going to knock Golden State off that Western pedestal, it’s the Spurs. Considering we haven’t gotten a Warriors-Spurs playoff series since 2013, we’re due for a rematch.

Back then, the Warriors weren’t title contenders yet. In 2014, the Dubs lost in a hard-fought seven-game first round series against the Clippers with Mark Jackson at the helm. Then Steve Kerr took over and Golden State became a title contender, but in 2015 and 2016, the Spurs failed to hold up their end of the bargain, losing to the Clippers in the first round and the Thunder in the second round during their franchise-record 67-win season.

With the Dubs and Spurs set to finish in the top-two in the West for the second season in a row, last year’s highly anticipated conference finals shouldn’t be postponed for another year. It’s time to settle this battle for Western supremacy head-to-head.

The Dubs have the league’s best record, best point differential, best offense and second-best defense. The Spurs own the NBA’s second-best record, second-best point differential, best defense and sixth-best offense. This would be a true clash of titans.

San Antonio is up 2-0 in the season series so far, with those wins coming by a whopping 29 and 22 points. However, the first defeat came in Golden State’s first game with Kevin Durant when there were still kinks to work out, and the second came in a contest where Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Draymond Green, Kevin Durant AND Andre Iguodala all sat out.

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We haven’t seen these two teams play each other in their full grooves yet, but there’s no better time than the 2017 Western Conference Finals.

Kawhi Leonard and Kevin Durant would face off in a battle of two of the NBA’s best two-way players and most lethal isolation scorers. Klay Thompson and Danny Green would be sniping from the wing. Draymond Green would have to slow down LaMarcus Aldridge and/or Pau Gasol for stretches.

The young and unproven Warriors bench would have to replicate its regular season success against an experienced Spurs second unit. Stephen Curry would have to make San Antonio pay despite experiencing his fair share of struggles against this team over the years.

The Rockets have been a blast this year, and a conference finals run from Russell Westbrook and company would be unbelievably fun, but if you’re looking for the best conference finals matchup, it’d undoubtedly involve six or seven games of Warriors vs. Spurs.