Golden State Warriors upcoming matchup with Cavaliers will feel strange
By Tony Pesta
The Golden State Warriors are set to take on the Cleveland Cavaliers this week in a matchup that will feel strange.
Not long ago, the Golden State Warriors and Cleveland Cavaliers were two titans of the NBA, destined to clash in the NBA Finals each year in explosive fashion.
Only two years since their most recent showdown and these two franchises look drastically different. Instead of mowing down opponents en route to a title, the Warriors and Cavaliers are at bottom feeders in their respective conferences.
Now, former rivals will meet again on Saturday. Except for this time, they won’t be jockeying for a competitive edge in a potential Finals matchup. The only impact this game will have is on their NBA Draft Lottery odds as both teams hope to land the top pick.
There will be no Stephen Curry versus Kyrie Irving on Saturday. We will not watch Klay Thompson Kevin Durant go toe-to-toe with LeBron James. Rather, the most exciting dual we will see is between D’Angelo Russell and the Cavaliers young backcourt consisting of Darius Garland and Collin Sexton.
The only familiar faces on the court will be Draymond Green, Kevin Love and Tristan Thompson. It’s safe to say that we will not see a thrilling battle on the court between these three players.
The Cavaliers have fallen off hard since the departure of both Irving and James. As for the Warriors, losing Kevin Durant was made infinitely worse by injuries to Curry and Thompson. As a result, both teams have had rough seasons.
We may still see an exciting game. The Warriors have been working hard to remain competitive behind solid performances from D-Lo, Eric Paschall, Damian Lee and Alec Burks. Russell, in particular, has scored 25+ points in five consecutive games.
Meanwhile, the Cavaliers have seen brief glimpses of hope from their core. Sexton is averaging a team-high 19.5 points while players such as Garland, Kevin Porter Jr. and Cedi Osman have been playing solid as of late.
Combined, the Warriors and Cavaliers have a 23-73 record. This is a far cry from the 60 win seasons each franchise enjoyed recently. As both teams begin to look forward to the future, Saturday’s matchup will truly show how much things have changed.