Currently holding a 2-0 lead in the Eastern Conference finals, the Boston Celtics are knocking on the door of the NBA Finals.
And while Celtics fans obviously would love to see their team face either the Golden State Warriors or the Houston Rockets, there is a question to consider: Would the rest of the United States rather see the Cleveland Cavaliers make it?
Regardless of which team emerges from the Western Conference, it’s a foregone conclusion that whoever represents the east in the Finals will be a major underdog. Before the playoffs began, many assumed LeBron James and the Cavs were the team best equipped to give the Rockets or the Warriors a run for their money. At this point, however, it’s becoming clear that Boston probably would put up the better fight.
During Wednesday’s episode of “Undisputed,” Chris Broussard explained why the Celtics would make the NBA Finals a “tougher series” than the Cavs, who he believes would get “waxed.”
"There's a big part of me that would rather see Boston in the Finals — Cleveland would get waxed … If my life depended on it, I would pick the Celtics." — @Chris_Broussard pic.twitter.com/f3WbLr3MqC
— The Facility (@TheFacilityFS1) May 16, 2018
So, would the Celtics really be more competitive than the Cavs?
The safe money, of course, is on James, who’s more than capable of dragging an underwhelming supporting cast deep in the finals. But the Celtics, even without Kyrie Irving’s services, unquestionably are the deeper, grittier team, and one that has the length and athleticism to match up with the likes of James Harden and Kevin Durant.
Still, whoever comes out of the west will have the benefit of home-court advantage, which doesn’t bode well for the C’s, who haven’t looked great on the road during the postseason. James, meanwhile, probably could steal a road game if he really wanted to.
Advantage: Cavs (but the Celtics are better).
