NBA Playoffs 2017: Ranking possible NBA Finals matchups

2 of 6

January 16, 2017; Oakland, CA, USA; Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) celebrates in front of Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James (23) during the second quarter at Oracle Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports /

5. Golden State vs. Cleveland

Okay, let’s just get this one out of the way. We all know that the media gets googly-eyed at the thought of these two goliaths meeting in the Finals for a third straight year. But do the fans really want to see this, again?

Maybe some do, maybe some don’t. However, according to Cavs head coach Tyronn Lue, this is the series that everyone wants to see. Lue was quoted as saying:

"“Is it a problem? I don’t think so. I think a lot of people wanted to see Boston and the Lakers back in the day. I think nowadays, a lot of people want to see Golden State-Cavs. And it’s not a problem. Right now, it’s two of the teams playing some of the best basketball right now. So two of the teams that have been in back-to-back Finals, so why not? Why not want to see it again? Don’t see why it would be a problem. I think last year had some of the best ratings, I think, in NBA history. I think now with them adding Durant and the way they’re playing, the way we’re playing, it can be even higher.”"

We all know that last years’ Finals Game 7 was the highest rated NBA game on ABC with 31.2 million viewers, according to Nielson Media Research so maybe there is still a genuine desire for this matchup to be played out again.

Both teams score a ton of points and are loaded with mega-stars which is the recipe for a successful series. Perhaps, it’s not that we want to see this, maybe we NEED to see this “rubber match.”

Now that LeBron is not that most hated player in the league, surpassed likely by Kevin Durant, who packed his bags during free agency, it will be interesting to see if that adds a new dynamic to the equation.

Home/NBA Playoffs