Better Chance to Reach NBA Finals: Atlanta Hawks or Golden State Warriors? [POLL]
The 2014-15 NBA season is coming to a close. There's been disappointments, unbelievable MVP performances, and great play from multiple teams across the league.
But, make no mistake about it. The Atlanta Hawks and Golden State Warriors will enter this postseason as the two best teams.
The Hawks own the top spot in the Eastern Conference with a 55-17 record. Despite losing three of their last five games, the Hawks have been in sole possession of first place this whole season. Do they have a superstar like LeBron James or Kevin Durant? No, but this team is a tight unit that plays together with a lot of confidence.
Although the Hawks don't have a player up to the caliber of Stephen Curry like the Warriors do, they do have a few advantages. The most obvious one of course being the conference. The East can't match the level of play of the West, and the Hawks should take full advantage of that. The Hawks will most likely play the 31-40 Boston Celtics or the 31-40 Indiana Pacers in the first round. Teams with losing records don't make the playoffs in the Western Conference as we all know.
One could argue that the Hawks roster is just as good as the Warriors from top to bottom. The Hawks have five players averaging 12 points per game or more with Jeff Teague and Paul Millsap leading the way. Even Dominican-born center Al Horford is averaging 15 points per game and 8.6 rebounds per 36 minutes. Without a doubt the biggest challenge for the Hawks this season will be the Cleveland Cavaliers, who the Hawks are 3-1 against this season. LeBron James has made it to the last four consecutive NBA Finals, but the Hawks will try and stop that streak this postseason.
Now, to the Warriors.
The Warriors, with new head coach Steve Kerr, look even better than last season when they finished 51-31. Curry, along with James Harden and Russell Westbrook, has been the MVP favorite for the majority of the season. The 59-13 Warriors hold a nine win advantage over the second place Memphis Grizzlies.
The Warriors may play in a tougher conference, but this team has by far the best shooting back court in the NBA today, maybe ever. Curry deserves every bit of recognition he is getting but Klay Thompson has been lights out this year as well. The San Antonio Spurs don't have home-court advantage like they had in each of the last two postseasons when they made it to the NBA Finals. This Warriors squad will be far more battle tested come playoff time than the Hawks will.
The biggest question mark for the Warriors is with their seven-foot Australian center Andrew Bogut. Bogut is the tallest player on the team and leads the Warriors in rebounds per game, but his health has been a concern. This Warriors team leads the NBA in scoring offense, and with Bogut on the floor healthy, they've been unbeatable.
The Hawks and Warriors are 1-1 against each other this season with the home team winning both games.
Neither of these teams have won an NBA Championship in the last 39 years, but it would be great to see them collide in the finals. The NBA isn't known for having as much parity as other sports, but this year could end differently with the Hawks and Warriors facing off in the 2015 NBA Finals.
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