Avert your eyes, Cleveland Cavaliers fans!
Stephen Curry is prepping himself, and his Golden State Warriors, to face an opponent other than your favorite team in this year’s NBA Finals. That opponent? The Boston Celtics.
Here’s what Curry said on Thursday night following Golden State’s thrilling loss to Beantown, per the San Francisco Chronicle‘s Connor Letourneau:
Stephen Curry on whether he’ll be back in Boston in June: “It’s looking very, very likely right now.”
— Connor Letourneau (@Con_Chron) November 17, 2017
Could Curry just be feeling his feelz in the aftermath of the Warriors’ crunch-time collapse? Absolutely. But he also has a point.
The Cavaliers have to be considered favorites to come out of the Eastern Conference, because they’re the Cavaliers, and they still have LeBron James. Their defense also ranks 10th in points allowed per 100 possessions over their current three-game winning streak.
But the Celtics own the best record in the league and have won 14 straight games. They deserve some love too, even without Gordon Hayward. Al Horford is a damned god, Kyrie Irving is playing the best defense of his life, and youngsters Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum are showcasing poise and efficiency beyond their years. Boston also has Brad Stevens manning the sidelines, giving them a tactical edge over just about any team that isn’t the San Antonio Spurs. This squad will cool off eventually, because it has to, but the group hasn’t even hit their stride on offense and is already dispatching some of the best in the league. Even if the defense regresses, what happens if they beef up their currently so-so offensive rank? Nothing good for the rest of the East, that’s for sure.
All of which is a roundabout way of trying to say: Steph, as per usual, ain’t wrong. The Warriors are more likely than not going to the NBA Finals, and their opponent, for the first time in a long time, feels like something less than a given.
